The Secret Storm
by KingN7
Summary: The Reapers and Leviathans have been defeated and the galaxy is finally at peace! Shepard and Tali have moved to Rannoch together and finally have happy, peaceful lives. It is all one big happily ever after. But one discovery can change all of history. One mistake can ruin everything you've done. One survivor can shatter the peace that so many fought to build...
1. The Hollow Ground

**Hello again, this is KingN7. I have returned! :D This will be an expansion off of (or a 'part two' to) my other fic _Just Follow Your Heart_. This is the story of what happened to the galaxy and Shepard and Tali after the end of the Leviathan threat on Despoina! :)**

* * *

><p><strong>For those who haven't read my other fic, I will provide a quick summary: Mass Effect mostly paragon canon until the Beam run in ME3. Then Shepard fights and kills the Illusive Man and basically ends Cerberus. He then docks the Crucible, fights and defeats Harbinger, discovers the Citadel AI (not the Catalyst, a keeper AI named Ji-Wilnar), learns the truth behind the Reapers (the Leviathans are responsible of course), and uses the Crucible to destroy the Catalyst's deep space station, ending the Reaper threat. The Council is restructured into the Galactic Senate, Admiral Hackett becomes the first Galactic Chancellor, and Shepard and Tali get married. Then the Leviathans, the 'apex race,' decide to strike while the galaxy is weakest and they attempt to take over everything. They nearly succeed, but the actions of Ji-Wilnar and the remaining Senate forces save the galaxy at the cost of completely destroying the environment of the planet Despoina. Shepard and Tali then move to Rannoch and begin their new lives together.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, that is the shortest way to summarize over 70k words! :D Mass Effect is owned by Bioware, so please enjoy!<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>The Secret Storm<strong>

Ch.1: The Hollow Ground

_Despoina, Three Months after the Battle of Despoina_

_Patrick Knight_

* * *

><p>Patrick checked the seal of his biohazard helmet again as the ship descended towards the now radioactive oceans of Despoina. He turned his head towards the crane operator Dwayne and nodded. Dwayne returned his nod and began manipulating the large ceiling crane into position.<p>

"Watch it!" he shouted as the crane mechanism swung a little too close to a few workers on a catwalk.

The crane stopped in the center of the hold and Patrick accessed a nearby intercom, "Check your suits one more time, we can't be too careful."

There was a slight clatter as his workers checked their suits one last time. After a few moments they all gave a nod or a thumbs up and Patrick pressed the button to the cargo doors. The floor underneath the crane slowly began opening to reveal the shifting ocean below. Thunder rumbled as the cargo doors disappeared inside the floor and stopped moving.

"Doors opened. Proceed to phase two." Patrick ordered through the intercom.

With a loud screech, the crane began descending through the center of the cargo bay and into the waves below. In the distance, another ship of equal size was also lowering a similar crane into the sea.

Patrick took a deep breath and held it; this was it, the scientific discovery of a lifetime. Studying these strange creatures could lead to many previously unheard-of advances. Studying their corpses would mean saving countless lives!

"We have contact," Dwayne said with a slight tremor of surprise as the crane connected to the target, "decomposition must have made it rise."

The crane shifted slightly and began pulling upwards through the depths. Patrick took a step forward and held onto the handrail as he watched his future rise into the ship. This was it; this was his destiny. He would save millions with the secrets of these creatures.

The crane pulled out of the ocean holding the broken body of a gigantic crab-like being. Patrick smiled as the water streamed off of the creature and the crane; with an actual body of a Leviathan, the secrets of the so called 'apex race' could finally be learned! Their incredibly long life spans, the secrets of their mind-controlling powers, and the many secrets hidden inside their massive, mostly undamaged, brains. It had the potential to advance the Senate centuries into the future. It was possible that even the secrets of Mass Relay technology was embedded in their brains!

Patrick's smile grew as the crane stopped and the cargo bay doors began to close . . . he had done it . . . he had a Leviathan body! He could barely contain his excitement as the doors finally closed and the cleanup crew began sanitizing the cargo hold as well as the creature.

"Be careful with the head area, we don't want to lose any part of its brain." Patrick ordered as the cleanup crew started hosing down the body.

"Patrick?"

"Dwayne?" Patrick returned as he turned to his buddy.

Dwayne smirked, "We did it, sir."

Patrick nodded and turned back to the Leviathan corpse, "That we did," he sighed, "Feels like a long time since anything good has happened."

Dwayne stepped towards the rail next to Patrick and leaned on it, "That changed today, sir."

Patrick slowly shook his head with a smirk, "Just thinking about how much we can learn about these creatures, it's . . . it's amazing. All of us will make this galaxy a better place."

Suddenly the Leviathan corpse shifted and Patrick jumped back, "What was that?"

The cleanup crew stepped back slowly as the corpse moved again. Patrick stared at the creature with wide eyes as the crane that held it creaked.

The Leviathan's eyes opened and Patrick felt a strange power blast into him. He let out a cry as his body fell to the metal floor...

* * *

><p><em>Unknown Location<em>

* * *

><p>Patrick fell to his knees and coughed into the shallow water surrounding him. Using his hands he wiped some water from his eyes and blinked a few times before noticing a pair of brown shoes in front of him. Breathing deeply he tilted his head upwards. Standing before him was a tall man wearing a large tan trench coat and a simple brown hat. Patrick blinked a few times more before noticing his face looked exactly like Dwayne's.<p>

"Dwayne?" Patrick asked as he tried to stand.

Dwayne put out a hand and Patrick let out an agonizing scream as he was forced back to his knees.

"You will kneel before your Master." Dwayne ominously stated in a deep, frightening voice.

Patrick felt something strange happening inside his head . . . something was literally inside of him! He couldn't feel anything physically, but it was inside his mind, sifting through his memories.

"What are you doing to me?" Patrick hissed.

Dwayne stepped forward, "Learning your secrets."

After a moment Dwayne forced Patrick to his feet and looked straight into his eyes, "You have been plotting. You wish to use me for your own personal gain. You wish to give our knowledge to the lesser beings. I will not allow that."

"What are you**—**"

Patrick felt his lips forced shut, "I do not care, and we must act. Your kind has destroyed the apex race. Your kind has ruined this planet. I am the last of my people."

Dwayne turned to the endless gray around them, "To be defeated by such inferior creatures . . . but it is irrelevant now." He turned back to Patrick and again met his gaze, "You will take me to a new planet, one filled with life no one has ever seen before, life that I can control and use. You will bring your facilities and begin saving my people. You will allow us to return to our former glory so we may once more save this galaxy by any means necessary."

Patrick shook his head, still unable to speak.

Dwayne stared at him, "You have no choice."

Patrick felt pain surge through him and he grabbed his head with his hands. Still unable to make any noises, he trashed for a moment, desperately trying to save his mind. But he suddenly stopped, put his hands to his side, and looked at Dwayne once more. He smiled and slowly nodded.

"We have much to do Patrick, do not disappoint."

Patrick opened his mouth and looked at the Leviathan projection in the eye, "Yes, Master."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's endnote: Oh Leviathans, why must you always ruin everyone's fun!? I hope this short little intro is a nice foreshadowing of future events in this little fic. *Spoiler alert* there will be Shepard-Tali next chapter, because no one can get enough of those two! :D At least I can't! :D Anyway, I'm glad to be back and I hope you review, follow, favorite, etc. and I'll see you next chapter!<strong>


	2. A Reason to Hope

**Chapter 2 has arrived! I'm very excited about this chapter, because Tali and Shepard living happily on Rannoch means one more thing that I'm sure you can guess! :D Anyway, Mass Effect is owned by Bioware, so please enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Ch.2: A Reason to Hope<p>

_One week later, Rannoch_

_Commander Shepard_

* * *

><p>Life had a way of being brutal to ex-Commander John William Shepard Jr. Losing his family and friends on Mindoir, his squad on Akuze, and many friends during the Reaper and Leviathan wars . . . it wasn't something that most people could handle . . . but he had endured it all. He pushed past everything the galaxy threw at him . . . no matter the cost. Today was different though, today made every painful memory and heartbreaking loss feel worth it. Today he would become more than a Commander or a symbol . . . today he would become a father.<p>

Shepard took a step towards the glass and peered into the nursery for what felt like the millionth time. Young Quarian infants lay in rows of cribs, each in tiny bubbles and little diapers. Most of them were sleeping with cute smiles on their faces, oblivious to just how much their parents sacrificed. The wars had been brutal, and far too many people had died because of them…

"John?" Tali spoke, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Shepard turned to his wife and smiled, "Yes Tali?"

She looked into the nursery again before facing Shepard, "Keelah . . . I can't believe we're really doing this. Us, becoming parents…"

Shepard stepped forward and gently put his hands on her shoulders, "We don't have to do this if you're not ready."

Tali shook her head and looked down, "No, I'm ready, I just . . . I never thought we'd make it this far."

Shepard raised his hand and lightly lifted her chin to look into her eyes, "But we did love, we made it."

Tali's eyes brightened slightly through her face mask; he knew she was smiling, "We did…"

Shepard wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, turning his head to the nursery again, "So, do any of them catch your eye?"

Tali rested her head on his shoulder and scanned the nursery, "I don't know, maybe we should go inside."

Keeping his arm around her Shepard walked over to the door and opened it, revealing the director of the orphanage. The old Quarian woman perked up upon seeing them.

She cleared her throat and spoke, her Quarian accent and aged voice mixing in an interesting manner, "What did you think of our little angels?"

Shepard smiled and pulled Tali a little closer, "It's kinda' hard to pick from out here. Do you think we can go inside?"

The director nodded and hobbled towards the door, gesturing for them to follow, "Of course dear, just promise to be quiet. It's their nap time after all."

The director opened the door and went inside, moving next to the closest baby in the room, "This is little Senei, just look at how cute she is."

Tali and Shepard walked up to the crib and examined the small infant. She lay on her back, her two small arms spread wide.

"She's pretty cute." Tali whispered.

The director hobbled to the next crib, clasping her hands together at the sight, "And this is baby Ver, he can be a little different but he's so cute."

Shepard heard a small hiccup and turned to another crib; a little baby was stretching inside of it. He rubbed Tali's shoulder once and let his arm fall to his side. He walked up to the baby and smiled at her. The baby looked at him with wide eyes, let out a bubbly laugh, and started wiggling her arms. As gently as possible he put a hand into one of the gloves on the sides of the bubble and touched one of her hands, lightly rubbing it. The baby continued smiling and began studying his hand; she had probably never even seen a human before.

"What's her name?" Shepard asked as the director and Tali walked over to him.

"Oh, she doesn't have a name. Her mother died in childbirth and her father died in battle. She is an orphan."

Tali stepped next to Shepard and examined the baby for a moment. She then reached out her hand and carefully touched the baby's other hand. The baby let out another bubbly laugh and turned to her, still smiling merrily.

"She's beautiful…" Tali said as she leaned in closer, taking in the baby's every detail.

"She is…" Shepard agreed as he continued watching the infant.

Shepard let go of the baby's hand and put his arm around Tali again. Tali continued holding the baby's other hand, mesmerized by its tiny, delicate size.

Suddenly a small rumble was heard and the baby's smile faded. She let out a cry and tears began falling from her eyes. Tali let go of the baby's hand and began nervously wringing her hands.

"Oh Keelah, I'm so sorry, I didn't, I mean I don't, I…" Tali rambled as she leaned into Shepard and looked towards the floor.

"Shh, it's ok dear." The director pulled out a bottle and grabbed the feeding tube connected to the baby's bubble. She quickly connected the bottle to the tube and the milk began pouring out as the baby started nursing. "She's just hungry, child, you didn't do anything."

The baby began calming down as she drank the milk. Tali took a deep breath and put her hands to her sides, "Sorry, I'm just so nervous…"

The director nodded as she fed the baby, "Becoming a parent is a scary thing, child, but it is rewarding. I've spent my entire life taking care of children, it can get hectic and there have been frightening moments, but they bring so much joy. Just be calm child, I know you will be a great mother."

Tali shook her head, "How do you know that, you don't know me? I could make a mistake or…"

The director chuckled, "You are Tali'Shepard vas Normandy, the most famous Quarian alive. You've faced everything this galaxy can throw at you with your life-mate at your side. You will make a great mother."

"This isn't like a war, I could…" Tali protested as she pulled closer to Shepard.

Shepard lightly squeezed his wife, interrupting her rambling, and spoke reassuringly, "It's alright, I'm here. Together we can do anything my love."

Tali nodded lightly, "I know, it's just . . . this is so . . . scary."

Shepard smirked, "When has something being scary ever stopped us? It was scary fighting the Collectors, Reapers and Leviathans, it was scary fighting Saren and the Geth . . . even being together was scary, but we did it, and it worked. This is just another adventure we will overcome together."

Tali rested her head on Shepard's shoulder, "Ok..."

The director shook her head and spoke with a smile in her voice, "How about I let you hold her dearie, would that make you feel any better?" The director pressed a few buttons on the bubble's terminal, and sub-bubble formed around the baby which the director picked up gently and stepped towards Tali, "Here, just hold her for a minute."

Tali stared at the baby for a moment, still leaning into Shepard. She then turned to face him and lightly wrung her hands, "Maybe you should hold her first, she likes you more and…"

Shepard smirked and pulled her into a hug, interrupting her rambling, "Shh, it's ok honey; she doesn't like either of us more. Just hold her and you'll see."

He tapped his forehead to her faceplate and smiled at her; he knew she was very nervous about all of this. He was nervous himself. He feared that he would hurt the child if he held her. Tali was probably feeling the same.

Tali nodded and turned back to the director. She hesitated for a moment before taking a step towards the child, her hands still wringing. She then took a deep breath and slowly reached her arms out to hold the young baby. The director nodded and gently placed the child into Tali's arms. Tali pulled the child to her breast and stared at it for a moment. The child was finished with the bottle and returned Tali's stare with her wide, innocent eyes.

Tali's eyes brightened slightly and she began carefully rocking the child back and forth in her arms. After a short time the child's eyes grew heavy and, with a tiny yawn, she closed them, leaning her head into Tali's arms.

Shepard watched Tali as she gently rocked. The way she held the child, the way her eyes brightened at the sight of her, and her overall happy stance told Shepard all he needed to know. Today he was going to fulfill a wish he never dreamed was possible.

"We'll take her." Shepard whispered as he moved to Tali's side.

Tali nodded lightly as she continued watching the child. The director perked up and clasped her hands together, looking at Tali holding the baby.

"Excellent choice dears, you fit together wonderfully. I told you you'd make a great mother." She then turned to Shepard, "All we need to do is finish some paperwork and she's yours to take home."

The director motioned for Shepard to follow her as she walked towards the door. He rubbed Tali's back and took one last look at the sleeping child before stepping out the door with the director.

Shepard followed the director through a bright, short corridor until they reached an opened doorway. Inside there was a small desk, a few chairs, and a window with a view of the surrounding city. The director took a seat behind the desk and pulled out a datapad.

She handed it to Shepard and cleared her throat, "I need you to read over that entirely before I can give the child to you, dear."

Shepard skimmed through it for a minute, "This is the longest contract I've ever seen!"

The director nodded, "We have quite a few additional rules for any parents who aren't Quarian. It's not because you're alien, we just want to make sure the child doesn't get any of your food in her system. I'm sure you know how dangerous exposure to most things can be to us. All you have to do is promise to take care of her as a Quarian should be taken care of, but please read it over thoroughly."

Shepard read a few lines before looking at the director again, "It says 'both parents.' Should Tali be here with me?"

The director sighed, "Technically yes, but I don't have the heart to ask your wife to leave that child. She seemed very happy in there, and I trust you'll tell her everything she needs to know when you leave today."

Shepard smirked, "Yeah, she was happy. I'd rather let her enjoy that than make her read a hundred page contract."

"I'm glad we agree, dear, now please read." The director said as she pulled out another datapad and began typing.

Shepard silently read the contract for a few minutes, but quickly began drifting off. The text was making him drowsy, and soon he turned his eyes from it. He then saw his wife through the open door. She still stood in the same place with the same brightened glow in her eyes; she lifted a hand and gently rubbed the child's head through the clear bubble. He smiled at the sight and returned his attention to the datapad; it wasn't a fun read, but he would read it for her and the child.

Shepard continued reading the contract for a good thirty minutes, not stopping once as he scrolled through the pages. He then reached the bottom of the contract, signed it, and set the datapad on the desk.

The director set her own datapad down and looked at Shepard, "Finished dear?"

Shepard nodded and the director picked up the datapad. She checked the signature and held it at her side as she stood up and looked out the door at Tali and the child.

She then turned back to Shepard, "I'll just need your wife's signature and a name for the baby and you can be on your way, Captain Shepard."

Shepard stood up and walked out of the office with the director behind him. The director stopped at the door and closed it behind him, giving them privacy. Shepard stepped towards his wife and gently wrapped an arm around her. Tali leaned her head on his shoulder with her eyes still on the baby.

"Where were you, my captain?" Tali whispered.

Shepard rubbed her side, "Just finishing some technicalities, she's almost ready to come home." He kissed the top of her helmet, "Have you thought of a name?"

"Jane." Tali said quietly.

Shepard stood silently for a moment, slightly confused by Tali's suggestion, "Jane? But that's a human name Tali."

"I know, John, but that's why it's perfect." She leaned into Shepard and sighed, "When you told me about your sister, I could tell she meant a lot to you. You did everything you could to protect her, and her death hurt badly. But she's with the Ancestors now, and her memory can live on in our child as well."

Shepard nodded and studied the child once more before speaking, "Are you sure? With a human name she might be made fun of."

Tali giggled, "Shepard, her father's the savior of the galaxy, so I think the kids will be nice to her."

Shepard sighed, "Or she'll be an outcast."

"No." Tali turned to Shepard and cupped his cheek with her free hand, "She'll be our child, and she'll live a happy life. Don't doubt that for a second my love."

Shepard smiled as her fingers caressed his cheek, "I don't Tali, and I like the name Jane, I just . . . are you sure you'd want that?"

Tali looked at the baby again, "I want this, Shepard. It just feels right..." She lifted her head and looked in Shepard's eyes, "Like being with you."

"Ok…" Shepard whispered as his smile grew, "Let's go tell the director the good news."

Shepard moved towards the door and opened it, gesturing for Tali to walk out. Still carrying the child Tali stepped into the hallway and stood next to the director. Shepard followed her and stood next to her.

The director handed the datapad to Shepard, "So, are you ready to give her a name?"

"Yes, we are." Shepard said while he typed 'Jane'Shepard nar Rannoch' into the datapad.

"Ok Captain Shepard, then all we need is a signature from Tali and you can take her home."

Tali looked up from Jane and tilted her head, "What?"

The director laughed, "Don't worry child, you just need to sign something. I can hold her while you do."

Tali pulled the baby closer to herself and shook her head, "No, John should hold her."

The director nodded, "Of course dear, that's fine."

Shepard handed the datapad to the director as Tali turned to face him. She smiled as Shepard slowly took the baby from her arms.

"Keelah, how long is this?" Tali said, surprised as she looked over the contract.

Shepard sighed, "You don't have to read it, just sign it Tali."

"But I need to know what I'm signing, John." Tali explained as she started reading it.

Shepard walked over to her and kissed the side of her helmet, "You trust me, right Tali?"

Tali laughed and turned her head to face him, "Of course, John, more than anyone."

Shepard smirked, "Then you don't want to read it, I already did and nothing was wrong."

"Oh, you already read it?"

Shepard nodded.

She signed the contract and handed the datapad back to the director, then hugged Shepard, "I'm sorry, I didn't know, but I trust you."

The director checked the datapad over and nodded, "Everything's in order then, dears. I'll get you one of our going away gifts and you can be on your way."

She walked over to a door and opened it, revealing a room filled with little baskets of basic baby supplies. She grabbed the nearest one and hobbled back to Shepard and Tali, handing the basket to Tali, "Here, now take good care of her, she's yours now."

Shepard and Tali both nodded and they began walking down the hallway towards the exit and their vehicle. Shepard kept his eyes on his new daughter as they pushed through the doorway and into the warm sunshine of Rannoch.

He smiled at his new daughter and placed her in the car seat. He was a father, an actual father! That one fact gave him a happiness he had rarely felt, for today he knew he had a future beyond death. After so much death, destruction, loss, and hardship, he had finally become a father, and it filled him with joy.

He took his place in the driver's seat of the skycar and Tali got in next to the baby, looking in the basket with a smile. Shepard watched his wife's excitement as she looked at a few datapads on how to raise babies and what to feed them. As the skycar lifted up Shepard kept one thought in his head, one thought that he had never dared to believe before: he could finally be happy and live his life in peace. He didn't have to fight anymore.

But sadly for John, life was brutal…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's endnote: Jane'Shepard nar Rannoch, bet you didn't see that coming! :D Shepard and Tali having a kid=such high levels of awesome I can't even describe it! (thumbs up to The Wandering Reader for the Shepard-Tali baby name suggestions! :)) I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please review, favorite, follow, etc., it helps to know who is enjoying or not enjoying the story and why. Any constructive criticism is more than welcome too! :) Anyway, Keelah Se'lai good people, and I hope to see you next chapter!<strong>


	3. The Station

**Chapter 3 is here! :) Let's get to it: Mass Effect is owned by Bioware, so enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Ch.3: The Station<p>

_SIF Enigma_

_Patrick Knight_

* * *

><p>"Senate Investigation Fleet Enigma to Station Alpha requesting docking permission, over." Patrick hailed into the comm.<p>

There was a moment of silence, then the traffic controller responded, "IFF cleared, welcome home Enigma. Proceed to docking bay 3."

The pilot began maneuvering the ship towards the docking bay as the bay doors slowly opened. Through Patrick's eyes, the Leviathan observed the colossal station. The station itself was made up of four large hanger bays that were connected to a large, spherical central hub. Its size told Leviathan all it needed to know: there would be many for it to control here.

The Enigma flew into the station and docked inside. The hanger bay doors closed as machines and people began flooding inside, all seemingly eager to see the results of the expedition.

_They would make the perfect slaves for its purposes!_

Patrick exited the helm and opened an airlock with an object in his hands. He walked outside to greet an admiral and several scientists.

The admiral saluted him. "You've done us proud, son."

Patrick nodded._ These lesser creatures were so foolish…_

A Salarian scientist eyed the object for a moment. "Is that . . . a Leviathan artifact?"

Patrick nodded again.

The Salarian moved closer, already scanning the object, "Glad the Leviathans died, this will be useful. How they communicated through these objects is still a mystery," he turned off his omni-tool and continued, "here's hoping we unlock the secret."

Patrick smirked and spoke in the Leviathan's deep, menacing voice, "You will not."

The admiral and the scientists each let out cries of pain as the Leviathan penetrated their minds. They struggled for a moment before their eyes glazed over slightly and their expressions became blank.

The workers below them let out similar cries as the Leviathan solidified its control over the station. The other ships had each landed in separate parts of the station and each carried artifacts. In less than a minute all of the personnel on Station Alpha became pawns to the Leviathan.

Through the eyes of its slaves the Leviathan began searching for specific equipment. It searched for cloning facilities, materials for more artifacts, galaxy maps, and anything else the lesser creatures knew about its people. After a short time it was satisfied and broadcast a command through each of its slave's minds.

_You will find me a new world, one that supports life yet is still uncharted. You will build new artifacts, enough to assume control over an entire world. You will also research how to save my people. Cloning, reconstruction, or any other method that saves the apex race will ensure your eternal happiness in the New Leviathan Empire._

In unison, its slaves replied, 'Yes, Master' and began their work.

Through the eyes of one of its many slaves the Leviathan began reading a report on the station. The report said the station was a top secret research facility specifically sanctioned for researching technology left behind after the Reaper and Leviathan wars. Some of the Senate's greatest secrets lay within the station…

The Leviathan recognized this victory and turned its attention back to the scientists. They were grabbing samples from the dead Leviathans and running tests on them. Some of them had already begun researching how to resurrect his brethren. The Leviathan recognized this victory as well.

It then turned its attention to the slaves working on the maps. Apparently an obscure relay was discovered just days before the Reaper invasion and most records to it were destroyed. One record survived, however, and it even described a possible life-bearing world. The victories were becoming greater.

Finally it turned its attention to the slaves building new artifacts. They were all hard at work taking apart certain elements from their useless supplies and converting them into parts for an artifact. The Leviathan would not share the complete formula with any one slave, however; even the apex race had to be careful.

The Leviathan suddenly felt something tug at its control of one of the slaves; one of them was trying to fight. Annoyed, the Leviathan entered the slave's mind…

* * *

><p><em>Unknown Location<em>

* * *

><p>The Leviathan, still wearing the tan trench coat and brown hat, stepped towards the Asari. The shallow waves lightly bounced on its feet in the endless gray. The only difference was the Leviathan's face, it projected the Asari's Salarian mate.<p>

"Chaells?" The Asari asked, surprised.

"You resist, but you will fail." The Leviathan spoke.

"What? Chaells, you have to help me! It's trying to steal my mind!" the Asari pleaded as she tried to crawl closer to the Leviathan projection.

The Leviathan stopped her in her tracks, forcing her down. "You will bend before your Master."

The Asari cried out as she tried to stand. "You can't do this! We're not your slaves!"

"I can, and you are." The Leviathan stated as it forced itself deeper into the Asari's mind.

"No, no!" The Asari screamed as the Leviathan wormed through her every thought and memory.

She continued to struggle fruitlessly as the Leviathan sifted through her darkest secrets. After another moment she stopped struggling and lifted her glazed eyes and blank face to the Leviathan projection.

"I'm ready to serve you, Master."

"Good. Do not disappoint me again." The Leviathan ordered as the surroundings began blurring away…

* * *

><p><em>Station Alpha<em>

* * *

><p>The Leviathan watched as its slaves continued working on their assigned projects. Someday soon, the entire galaxy would be under the control of its rightful masters. Someday soon, the tribute would flow once more for the apex race. Someday soon, peace would finally reign again…<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Author's endnote: First the ship, now the entire station!? D: That Leviathan is stirring up some serious stuff, when will it end? I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always reviews, follows, favorites, etc. are more than welcome! :) See you next chapter!<strong>


	4. Family

**Chapter 4 time! As always Mass Effect is owned by Bioware, so please enjoy! Please note any Khelish words I use will be defined at the bottom of the page.**

* * *

><p>Ch.4: Family<p>

_Rannoch, 5 years later_

_John Shepard_

* * *

><p>"Can you tell me another story, daddy?" Jane'Shepard asked as her father tucked her in for the night.<p>

"Which one, sweetheart?" John smiled and stroked her forehead.

Storytelling had become a custom between John and his daughter. Every night she would ask for another story, and every night he would tell her one. Most nights he would tell a story with Tali by his side, but she had recently begun working late since both the Conclave and Admiralty Board were close to getting a government figured out for Rannoch, so for the past few nights, it has been just he and his little Jane.

Jane returned his smile, her eyes filled with wonder, "The one where you, mommy, and Uncle Gari blow up the Reaper!"

John chuckled, "We blew up a couple Reapers, sweetie, you're going to have to be more specific."

Jane looked down for a moment, thinking deeply, "The one in the Co-collicter-collectir Base."

"You mean the Collector Base?"

Jane's eyes lit up and she turned her head back to her father. "Yeah, the one right after you learned you loved mommy!"

Shepard's smile grew at that detail. "That one again? This has to be the fourth time I've told it to you, sweetie."

"Please daddy!" She stuck out her lip and looked at him with puppy dog eyes.

Shepard sighed in feigned defeat, "Ok, I'll tell it again, but only because I love you."

"Yay!" Jane bounced as her smile returned.

"Well, there we were, at the heart of the Collector Base. Your mommy, Uncle Gari, and I were all staring at a scary monster called a Reaper. It was shaped almost exactly like a human, but it was made out of metal like the Geth."

"So the Geth are like the Reapers?" Jane tilted her head.

John shook his head. "No, but they're both made out of metal. The Geth are friendly, and helped make sure you," he poked her nose lightly. "Don't have to wear a suit like your mom."

"But I like mommy's suit, it feels neat!"

John patted her head. "I agree, sweetie, but your mommy and I are glad you don't have to wear one. Now let's get back to the story. Where was I?" He stroked his chin.

"The Reaper was made of metal!" Jane answered.

Shepard nodded. "Right, the Reaper was made of metal. It was connected to the walls by glass pipes, and we had to shoot each of them to defeat the Reaper. Uncle Gari covered me and mommy as we shot the pipes with our guns. I actually only shot one of the tubes, your mom was able to hit the rest without me."

"So mommy's a better shot than you?"

John chuckled again. "I think we're even, sweetie, but your mommy was very determined that day."

Jane's eyes lit up brighter. "And why was that?"

"Well," he sighed happily, "it was the same day we realized just how much we loved each other."

"That was the first day you kissed her?"

Shepard laughed and turned his head towards the window. "Yeah . . . kissed and hugged without a mask in the way."

"Then what happened?"

Shepard turned back to his daughter. "Then the Reaper fell off of the wall and into a big pit. I thought we had killed it, but in just a few minutes it came back, and it . . . wasn't happy. It was massive, and we didn't have much time to fight it, but that didn't stop us. When we tried to shoot it, however, we didn't leave a scratch; that is until your mom found a 'weak point' that we began exploiting."

"So mommy was smarter than you and Uncle Gari?"

"I didn't say that, sweetie," he chuckled and shook his head, "even if it's true."

Jane giggled.

"Are you trying to make fun of me, baby girl?" John asked playfully.

"I was just remembering the coffee machine, daddy."

John placed a hand on his forehead and sighed, a small smile still on his face, "Please don't remind me…"

"But it was so funny, daddy!"

"I got electrocuted, sweetheart. Three times!"

Jane giggled again. "Your hair was stuck up on your head and you smelled like meat!"

"You know it did hurt pretty badly," Shepard retorted, trying his best to get the humorous memory out of her head.

Jane wasn't listening, however, "Mommy was really funny when she found you, too. She was so mad at you for trying to fix it."

"It wasn't because he was trying to fix it," Tali said as she entered the room and crossed her arms, "It was because he was trying to fix it _while _it was plugged in."

John shrugged and smirked as his helmetless wife entered the room. "Rookie mistake right?"

Tali shook her head and smiled. "Sometimes, John…"

John walked over to his wife and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I know honey; I'll try to be more careful," then added sarcastically, "who would've thought something that was turned off could still have power though?"

Tali sighed and smiled at John.

"Don't be mad at daddy, mommy, he's not smart like you." Jane said as she pushed her blankets aside and moved towards the edge of the bed.

"Alright, you're gonna get it now!" John teased as he turned to his daughter and began tickling her.

She giggled merrily as Shepard tickled her stomach.

"This is what you get for making fun of me, you little monster," he continued

"I'm sorry, daddy!" Jane said through her giggles.

"Good girl," John pulled his hands away from her stomach and allowed her to get back under her sheets.

Jane nestled in, then asked, "Story now?"

Shepard crossed his arms in mock indignation,. "If you promise to stop making fun of me."

Jane pouted, "Ok…"

"Can I help?" Tali asked as she stepped next to John.

"Of course, honey." Shepard kissed her cheek and put an arm around her. "We were just talking about the Reaper in the Collector Base, when you found the Reaper's weak point."

"Keelah…" Tali shook her head. "That thing just didn't want to stop, did it?"

John sighed. "Not at all, we were all running low on thermal clips when we finally stopped it."

"What's a thermal clip?" Jane asked.

"It's what lets our guns fire, sweetie." John answered, "We put them in our guns to make sure they don't overheat while firing."

"Ok, then what?"

Tali cleared her throat. "Well, your father, Garrus, and I fought it for a while, all of us focusing our fire on its weak points while fighting Collectors on the side. Eventually it began exploding and it threw its arm out at our platforms."

John nodded. "The arm hit our platforms and they began falling into the pit below us. In the confusion your mother lost her footing and began falling towards the pit, so I jumped after her, reaching as far as my arm could reach to catch her. At the last possible second I caught her hand as she fell off the platform and pulled her to safety before all of the platforms fell completely."

Tali rested her head on Shepard's shoulder. "You were always there to save me, my heroic captain."

Shepard kissed her head. "You saved me that day too, Tali, remember?"

"I do." Tali sighed. "Seeing you dangling from the Normandy like that was terrifying."

Shepard lifted his hand and lightly brushed a strand of hair away from Tali's eyes. "I felt the same way when you were falling, but luckily we made it out safely."

"Ahem." Jane cleared her throat. "Story?"

Shepard turned back to his daughter. "Impatient aren't we? Anyway, the platforms fell and the Reaper was destroyed. I landed under a beam but I managed to push it off of me quickly. Uncle Garrus was slumped on the floor, but when I turned him over his eyes blinked open and he was able to stand. I then noticed your mother was trapped under another beam on the other side and I rushed over to get it off of her. It was heavy, but I pulled it off and got her out safely. Then Joker called us through the comms and told us everyone was waiting and safe, so we bolted through the base to escape."

"While we were doing that, a Reaper named Harbinger tried intimidating us by telling us we had 'the attention of those infinitely _your_ greater.'" Tali laughed. "How infinitely great are you now?"

John chuckled. "Yeah, Harbinger sure tried to scare us, but it didn't do anything to us. Joker had his rifle out and was covering us as we ran towards the Normandy. Garrus and mom both made it to the Normandy before a huge beam flew down from the ceiling and smashed into the platforms. I didn't have a choice so I ran as fast as I could to the edge of the still working platform and jumped towards the ship. If your mother hadn't helped me up I don't know if I would've made it, but we were all able to get back into the Normandy."

Tali began speaking, "We still weren't safe though, the base had just went critical, meaning it was about to explode! Joker got into the helm and pushed the Normandy to full speed as the base turned into a massive fireball behind us. But we had done it, we had destroyed the Collectors and saved the galaxy . . . but the Reapers were still coming."

"But it was a victory, and it saved a lot of lives."

Jane looked at Shepard as the story came to a close. "So, what happened next?"

John patted Jane's head lightly. "We'll save that story for another night, sweetheart."

Jane nodded and pulled her covers over herself again. "Ok daddy."

John lightly kissed Jane's forehead. "Goodnight, sweetie."

"Goodnight, daddy."

Shepard and Tali both walked out of the room into the hallway. Tali placed a hand on the light switch and turned it off. "Good night, _Serie_."

Jane closed her bioluminescent eyes. "Goodnight, mommy."

John smiled at Tali and began closing the door.

"Wait, daddy?"

John poked his head into the doorway, pushing the door back open. "Yes, Jane?"

"Do you think I'll ever have adventures like you and mommy did?"

John looked down at the floor, contemplating what he should say. "You'll have a good life, Jane, I know that. I don't know if you'll have adventures like your mother and I did, but I do know that no matter what, life is an adventure, so you're already in one right now."

Jane closed her eyes again. "Ok, daddy, goodnight."

"Goodnight." John whispered as he shut the door.

John turned to Tali as the door closed and continued to whisper, "I thought you were going to be home late."

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Tali asked as she lightly stroked Shepard's arm.

"You know I am, I just thought those stuck-up admirals liked to keep you all to themselves."

"Keelah, have I really been gone that much?" Tali's gaze lowered. "I'm so sorry that I've been coming home so late and leaving so early, but they need me there until the new government finally stabilizes. Then the Admiralty Board will be obsolete and I can stop worrying, but until then I just . . . I have to help."

"I know, Tali." Shepard hugged her and kissed her softly. "I know how that feels, worrying about the future of an entire people, but you've done amazing work so far. They're lucky to have you."

"Thank you, John, but I . . . I want to be here, with you, Jane, and the new baby. I missed Jane's first steps and first words because of the damn Admiralty Board; I don't want that to happen with Val too." Tali lowered her head and looked away.

Shepard gently placed his hand on Tali's chin and turned her eyes to his. "I recorded it for you, Tali, you didn't miss anything."

Tali pushed away from Shepard and shook her head. "But I did, I was too focused on work and rebuilding, I missed what really mattered to me."

Shepard stepped forward and pulled her back into a hug. "Tali, it's ok, you've been doing great things. Without you the Geth integration wouldn't have gone nearly as smoothly, and your ideas on the new government are ingenious."

Tali sighed. "If those bosh'tets hadn't debated this for so long I wouldn't have to worry so much. The stress is almost unbearable sometimes…"

He began caressing her sides. "Ya know, if you're so stressed out, I'm sure we could do something to make you . . . feel better."

Tali laughed and responded breathily. "And what would you suggest we do?"

Shepard moved his head next to her ear and whispered, "Maybe we should go to our soundproof room and find out."

"Ok my captain." Tali kissed his cheek and took hold of his hand, pulling him towards their room.

They walked into their room and shut the door behind them. Tali let go of his hand and walked over to their desk.

"Let's just make sure the baby monitor is on and . . . done." She said as she lifted the small device and turned it on. "Now . . . where were we?"

Shepard placed his hands on Tali's hips and pulled her close. "I think we were right here."

Tali wrapped her leg around him and bit her lip. Shepard then kissed her passionately and pulled her even closer to him. After a moment their lips parted and Tali pulled him back onto the bed before giving him a passionate kiss of her own. Shepard's hands roamed freely on her body as he searched for the section seals of her suit. He unlocked the seals one at a time as he continued kissing her; though it took a long time to get her suit off, he didn't complain in the least. Every section of skin he revealed he would caress, telling her through his touch that everything she had he cared about. Every second he had to wait was worth it as well, for feeling her skin on his was pure ecstasy. She was soft, yet firm, and simply melted from his touch. After a short time period Shepard removed the last section seal of her suit; Tali lay fully exposed to him on the bed.

Shepard pulled back from their kisses to take her all in once again; each time she was with him was a treasure, a wondrous experience of pleasure and love, and he would savor it. She noticed him pulling back from their kiss and blushed slightly as he looked her over; despite being married, Tali still seemed surprised when he complimented her and would sometimes feel shy when he wasn't touching her. She was so modest…

"You're so beautiful, Tali." Shepard whispered as he stroked her bare thigh.

Her blush deepened and she smiled, "Would you mind showing me how beautiful you think I am?"

Shepard climbed back onto her and kissed her passionately. "I don't mind at all, my love."

They continued kissing each other as Tali fumbled for his belt. After a moment she unhooked it and pulled it loose before going for the buttons on his pants.

Suddenly a loud cry blasted through the baby monitor, shattering the moment completely. Tali pulled her hands back from John.

Shepard sighed as he put his belt back on, "Stay right there, I'll get him."

Shepard reluctantly left the bed, and Tali, and walked out of their room towards Val's room with the baby basket in his hand. He moved towards the bed and lifted the baby Quarian's bubble up.

"What is it, son?" John asked as he pulled the bottle out of the basket. "Are you hungry?"

Val just sniffled in his arms and tried to reach for the bottle.

"I thought so, here." Shepard placed the bottle in the bubble and Val began nursing.

Val's eyes stopped watering as he drank the milk. In a few minutes he stopped nursing and yawned before resting his head on Shepard's arm and falling asleep. Shepard placed his son back in his crib and silently walked out of the room and towards his own.

He crept into his room and closed the door. He began pulling off his belt as he walked up to the bed; Tali had the covers over her.

"Tali." John whispered as he lifted the blanket and laid under it; Tali didn't move. "Tali?"

John lifted the blanket from her face and saw her eyes were closed; she was sleeping soundly with a smile on her face. He didn't remember the last time she had had a good night's rest, so he just laid down next to her, trying his best not to disturb her further. After a moment she shifted and put an arm around him in her sleep. He delighted in feeling her holding him, even if she wasn't awake, and felt himself slowly succumb to his own exhaustion. It hadn't been the greatest of days on the farm, but like every day with her, it had a happy ending…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's endnote: The Shepard family has grown! :D Jane and Val, the Shepard children, I love it! I wonder what I have in store next… Anyway, thanks for reading so far, and remember any reviews, favorites, follows, etc., are greatly appreciated! Keelah se'lai everyone, and I hope to see you next chapter!<strong>

**P.s. I hope no one was offended by Shepard and Tali's hugging and kissing in the bed, but they are married after all! :D Worry not, however, I will keep it T rated.**

**Serei: Khelish word for sweetheart, literal translation: 'my darling child.'**


	5. The Past

**Chapter 5! Yippee! Sorry about the wait, I was doing too many other things and didn't have time to write. :D As always Mass Effect is owned by Bioware, so please enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Ch.5: The Past<p>

_Rannoch_

_John Shepard_

* * *

><p>Shepard sighed as he awoke in the bed. He grumbled quietly and reached his arm over to the other side of the bed, sleepily searching for his wife. His hand touched only sheets and he grumbled again. Her side was empty. He grudgingly sat up and blinked the sleep from his eyes. Tali wasn't in the room at all. He slowly slid out of bed and stretched. He then put some clothes on and walked out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen.<p>

He trotted down the steps and a delicious smell stopped him in his tracks. He took a deep breath, letting the aroma fill his nostrils, and let it out, sighing happily. He walked into the kitchen and smiled at the sight before him: his son was sitting in his bubble-compatible booster seat, curiously watching the girls as they stood near the oven. Tali held a frying pan over the stove, slowly pushing the eggs inside of it around with her spatula, and Jane was standing next to her, watching her mother cook.

John crossed his arms and leaned on the doorframe, his smile growing. After a moment he cleared his throat and Jane and Tali turned their heads to look at him.

"Daddy!" Jane exclaimed as she rushed over and hugged him.

"Hey, good morning sweetheart," he said as he leaned over and returned her hug.

"You're up too early, daddy! Mommy wanted to surpruse you!" Jane smiled and pulled back from her father.

John chuckled as he patted her on the head. "It's surprise, sweetheart."

"Sur-prise! Ok, daddy!" She walked over to Val and took the seat next to him.

Shepard walked over to his wife and kissed her on the cheek. "Why didn't you wake me, honey?"

Tali smiled and leaned into him, keeping her eyes on the food. "I thought I could surprise you with some breakfast in bed. Like you did for me last month."

Shepard smirked. "You know how light of a sleeper I am without you."

Tali sighed and nodded lightly, whispering softly to him. "I know . . . Bosh'tet."

Shepard shook his head and kissed her cheek again. "Thanks for trying, honey."

"You're welcome." She said as she continued cooking, "Now go sit down, your food is almost ready."

"Yes ma'am." He walked over to the table and sat down next to his daughter.

Jane turned her attention from her cereal to her father. "Daddy, guess what!?"

John turned his head to face her with feigned surprise, "What?"

"I had a dream last night, daddy!" She said excitedly as she bounced in her chair.

"Oh yeah? What kind of dream?"

"A dream where I was a capain of a ship like you! I fought Babarian terrorusts, Husks, and a bunch of mean bad guys! Then I saved the galaxy like you did!"

Shepard chuckled. "It's _captain_, sweetheart, but it sounded like quite the adventure. I've gotta' ask though, what's a Babarian terrorust?"

"They're those four eyed awiens that wanted to blow up the planet with a big space rock!"

"Oh, you mean Batarian terrorists." He shook his head and smiled at his daughter, "I'd like to think the Batarians aren't like that anymore, but if they are I'm sure you'll be able to stop them."

Jane's smile grew and her eyes brightened slightly, "Thanks, daddy!"

"Now finish your cereal, breakfast is the most important meal of the day after all."

"Ok!" She grabbed her spoon and began eating her food again.

Shepard turned back to the table just in time to see the plate of eggs being placed in front of him by Tali.

He grabbed his fork and smiled at Tali. "Thanks honey."

Tali sat down across from him and returned his smile, "You're welcome, I hope you enjoy it."

John took a forkful of eggs and took a bite. They were scrambled, cooked thoroughly, and had just a pinch of salt and pepper on them; they were just the way he liked them.

John smiled at his wife. "Mmm, these are amazing!"

"I'm glad you like it." Tali smiled and perked up as she started eating some Dextro fruit.

They continued eating for a while. Shepard spoke about the new season and the newest antics of his Geth assistants McDonald and Tractor. Tali talked about the voting for the new government coming up. Jane didn't pay much attention to either of them and started playing with her spoon, pretending it was a ship and the little pieces of cereal on it were her and her crew.

While talking to his wife Shepard noticed his daughter and smiled. He remembered long ago when he was just like her, dreaming of adventure, friendship, and happiness . . . his dreams had come true, but the cost was something he didn't like to think about. So much death . . . he shook these thoughts from his head and continued listening to his wife.

After they finished their meals, Shepard grabbed the plates and bowls and set them in the dishwasher.

Tali then walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be home early again today." She whispered seductively into his ear, "And tonight, I won't be tired."

John turned to her and hugged her, pulling her close, "I'm looking forward to it already."

He pulled back to look her in the eyes, then they kissed. Tali then let go and walked towards the door, grabbing her helmet and faceplate and putting them on. She waved goodbye to Jane, Val, and John and left the house, heading for the skycar. Shepard waited for the hum of the skycar before picking up his son and feeding him with a bottle.

Val calmly nursed as Shepard held him; his son was so quiet, something that Jane hadn't always been as a baby. He loved her of course, but her crying had kept both him and his wife awake late many nights. He was glad Val, for the most part, was a lot quieter.

Then Shepard's omni-tool beeped. He set Val down in his chair and opened his messages. There was a message labeled urgent. Shepard curiously opened the message and read it over, it was a message from the Chancellor himself, asking him to call him on the QEC. Shepard exited the message and shot another message to one of his Geth assistants.

In less than a minute someone knocked on the door. Shepard opened it and smiled at his short Geth assistant McDonald.

"Shepard-Commander, what assistance do you need?" McDonald asked, its flashlight head scanning the room.

"I just need you to watch the kids while I'm in the QEC." Shepard answered, "They're both still sitting at the dining table."

"I will watch them, Shepard-Commander." The Geth said as he began walking out of the room and towards the dining table.

Shepard turned around and walked towards the basement door. This wasn't the first time McDonald had watched the kids, he knew the Geth would look after them well. He still wondered why the Geth had wanted to be named McDonald, but he wasn't going to argue with it, he was sure it had its reasons.

He opened the door to the basement and stepped down the stairs. The QEC was the first door on the left, and after entering, he tapped a few buttons and the holographic image of Chancellor Hackett appeared before him.

Shepard respectfully saluted. "Chancellor."

Hackett saluted back. "At ease, Shepard."

Shepard put his hand back to his side. "What can I do for you, sir?"

Hackett clasped his hands behind him, his face grim and serious. "Shepard, you know the end of the Reaper and Leviathan wars was exactly 5 years ago in one week correct?"

"Of course, sir," Shepard sighed, "and you want me to join the celebrations like last year."

One side of Hackett's mouth twitched in the hint of a smile, "Seeing you alive and happy can have quite an impact, Shepard." He took a deep breath. "Especially on a world you have . . . a history with."

"What?" Shepard raised his eyebrow.

"Alliance Command has . . . suggested we use the colony of Akuze for our celebration."

Shepard paled slightly at the mention of _that_ planet. "A-akuze?"

Hackett nodded. "Yes Shepard, it wasn't affected very much by either war and has actually been expanding while other planets rebuild. It is a great symbol of the galaxy's future."

"Why not London, or Sur'Kesh, or _anywhere_ else!"

Hackett sighed. "The Salarians don't think having a celebration on their territory is a good idea, there's still some bad blood between them and the Krogan. London is still a long way from being rebuilt. We don't have many options, Commander, and Akuze was the one Alliance Command chose. They also have a memorial of you there, which may have affected Command's decision."

"But Chancellor…"

Hackett raised his hand, silencing Shepard. "I let them decide, Shepard, and their decision is final. I've sent Kaidan Alenko and James Vega to pick you up in their ship."

Shepard perked up, "The Normandy?"

Hackett nodded again. "Yes, Shepard, they insisted on escorting you. Besides, you'll be the guest of honor, so having you on the safest ship in the galaxy is a good idea."

"But I haven't even accepted the invitation, Chancellor. I have a life, a family-"

"Your family is invited as well, seeing them with you would help everyone's morale."

Shepard knew he couldn't argue with Hackett, but that didn't stop him from trying. Akuze haunted him, and being on the surface again would only bring those memories back. He knew his squad didn't blame him for their death but . . . he had still lost 49 marines…

"But sir, Tali has duties here, I can't pull her from them."

Hackett countered immediately. "She can be the ceremony's Quarian ambassador. I'm sure the Conclave and Admiralty Board would both agree that sending one of their best would be a good move."

John sighed, "Ok . . . I'll talk to Tali and get back to you."

Hackett saluted. "Send a message to my assistant when you've figured everything out. The Normandy should arrive tomorrow."

Shepard saluted back. "Thank you, sir."

"Stay safe, Shepard. Hackett out." The Chancellor's hologram flickered and disappeared.

Shepard lowered his arm and stared at the blank QEC for a moment. Images flashed in his mind, images of Thesher Maws devouring soldiers, men and women melting as the acid hit them, and Red's sacrifice…

Shepard raised a hand to his forehead and pushed his hair back. How could he go back there, and for a party? Akuze was no place for a celebration of any kind…

He shook these thoughts from his head and opened his omni-tool. He began tapping at it, and in a few moments sent a message to Tali, telling her they needed to talk when she got home. He then took a deep breath and turned to the door. Maybe some work would ease his anxiety…

* * *

><p><em>Station Alpha<em>

_Leviathan_

* * *

><p>The Leviathan hissed as its slaves rubbed more of the experimental medi-gel on its scars. Despite years of research, the medi-gel still stung horribly and didn't completely heal the wound. Through one of its slaves, the Leviathan watched as another regeneration attempt failed. These slaves were worthless; after five years they still couldn't revive its fallen brethren!<p>

Disappointed, the Leviathan turned its attention to another batch of slaves; slaves that actually worked properly. They were talking to another Senate inspector, misleading her into believing everything was running smoothly. The inspector smiled as she returned to her shuttle and left; these primitive creatures were so easy to fool…

Leviathan then turned its attention to its favorite batch of slaves with a rush of satisfaction. If the medical slaves didn't finish soon, it would still go through with the plan. The galaxy had suffered long enough, it was time to end their nightmare . . . soon it would be time for the Leviathan Empire to return!

The slaves on Leviathan's new planet were new creatures, creatures no other species had ever seen before. They walked on four legs; their two arms were large, long, insect-like claws. They had heads similar to a praying mantis', but their eyes were blue and their exoskeleton was grayish-black. They also had fangs protruding from both sides of their jaw. They were thin, stealthy, and terrifying; the perfect foot soldiers for the Leviathan's plan.

It returned to its scientific slaves, forcing them to work faster. The Leviathan had patience, but the galaxy was recovering too quickly. If it didn't act soon, it knew its plan would fail, and it didn't have unlimited strength; controlling an entire planet was wearing it down. It needed its brethren, it needed more Leviathans…

Leviathan then noticed one of its slaves finishing designs for clones, and the Leviathan's satisfaction returned. If it could finally find a cloning facility, the plan would come to fruition. It then turned to three of the merc ships it had taken control of, ordering them to go to the Senate's 'secret' cloning facility in the Nubian Expanse. Its satisfaction increased as the ships began flying out of the station and towards the facility. Soon, the galaxy would know true peace again…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's endnote: Alright, I'm back! I'll try not to make you guys wait so long, but I can't make any promises! :D Just remember reviews, follows, favorites, etc. are always more than appreciated! Keelah se'lai everyone, and I hope to see you next chapter!<strong>

**P.s. if anyone knows an artist who takes commissions I'm looking for one to draw the creature I described. I'd like to make it the cover art for this story, so if you know anyone feel free to PM me! :)**


	6. The Normandy

**Chapter 6 is here! I'm just going to warn everyone that my new semester has just started and I'll probably have less time than usual to write, so updates might be even later… I'm sorry, but school does come first and my workload appears to be . . . larger than last semester. Anyway, Mass Effect is owned by Bioware, now please enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Ch.6: The Normandy<p>

_Rannoch_

_John Shepard_

* * *

><p>Shepard kissed Jane's forehead as he finished tucking her in for the night, "Good night, Jane." He turned from her and began walking out of the room towards the door.<p>

"Daddy, wait!" Jane called.

John turned around, "What is it, sweetheart?"

"You forgot the story!"

Shepard smiled and snapped his fingers. "Dang it, ya caught me!"

Jane giggled as Shepard sat down on the edge of her bed.

"So what story do you want to hear tonight?"

Jane's eyes brightened, "I wanna hear about Akuze!"

Shepard's smile vanished instantly and his skin paled, "Wh-where did you hear that name?"

Jane tilted her head to the left and looked at him curiously, "Mici said we were going there, and that you had had a mission there too!"

_Damn it, McDonald,_ Shepard thought, then said,"I . . . don't think you want to hear that story, Jane."

Jane gave Shepard her puppy dog look, "But daddy, it sounds…"

Terrifying sounds and images flooded his mind: images of bodiless limbs lying in the dirt, tents shredded and melted by Maws, and the . . . screams of his marines as they were eaten alive. Shepard sighed and he began rubbing his forehead, "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I can't…" He stood up and began walking towards the door.

"But daddy!"

More images flashed through his mind: a field of crops as he ran from a Maw, broken bodies in shattered prefabs, his desperation to save Hadley, and Red's last words… '_They're all dead,_ _so why not me?'_

_Why not me…? _He turned back to her, his face filled with pain. "I'm sorry, kiddo, I can't tell you that story . . . not yet . . . not tonight."

Jane frowned after noticing his expression and looked at her blankets, "Okay…"

"Good night, sweetheart," he whispered as he closed the door and turned away.

Shepard leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to try and calm himself. He had tried to forget the pain while working. It had worked . . . for a while. But Jane asking about Akuze had pulled all those memories back. His insides were on fire, consumed by an awful flame that coursed terror and regret throughout his body.

"John?"

He slowly opened his eyes and lifted his head to see Tali in front of him, her face concerned.

"John, what's wrong?" She asked as she stepped towards him.

He reached out and pulled her close, "I can't go back, Tali."

"What are you talking about?" She wrapped her own arms around him and began caressing his back.

"I can't…" He squeezed her tighter and closed his eyes again.

Tali kissed his cheek, and he sagged into her, "John, you know you can talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."

"They . . . they want me to go to Akuze."

"What!?" She pulled back and looked into his eyes, "Who!?"

He turned his head towards a door, "The Senate, they want . . . they're having a celebration there…"

Tali looked down, "The Admiralty Board just asked me to go as well, as their ambassador . . . but I had hoped they wouldn't ask you…"

"How can I go back there?" His breathing was getting erratic, "How can I face my greatest failure at a PARTY!?"

"John, John calm down." Tali lifted her hand to his face and pulled his chin to make him look at her. She then waited for him to focus before continuing, "I'll be there, right by your side. We can do this together, like we always do."

Shepard kissed her and pulled back, then resting his forehead on hers, and said, "Ok . . . I don't know what I'd do without you, Tali."

Tali smiled, "And I don't know what I'd do without you."

John kissed her cheek and pulled her close, "I love you."

"I love you too." She began lightly stroking his back. They stood there for a few minutes, silently basking in the other's love. John's breathing became normal again. Tali then pulled back a little and spoke, "Will you be ready tomorrow?"

Shepard nodded, "Yeah, as long as you're near me I . . . should be fine."

"Good." Tali took his hand in hers and lightly pulled him along, "Now come on, let's go to our room."

They walked into their room and closed the door behind them. Tali stopped in front of the bed and turned back to Shepard, putting her hands on his sides.

"So . . . this will probably be our last night alone together until we get back from . . . the party," she said somewhat hesitantly.

Shepard nodded, "Yeah, I guess so…"

He placed his hands on her hips.

"We don't have to do anything if you don't want to, John."

Shepard pulled her close and kissed her, then looked into her eyes, "I know, but we should. Like you said, this will probably be our last chance for a while and . . . I need to be reminded that I'm not alone."

Tali pulled him down to the bed and they both sat down. She kissed him on the lips, and then pushed him onto his back. She straddled him with her hips, laid on top of him, and kissed him again. "You're not alone, my love."

And for the next few hours, she made sure he knew that.

* * *

><p>Shepard opened his eyes and yawned. He felt a weight holding him down and looked down to see Tali resting her head on his chest with a loving smile on her face. He put his head back down and quietly sighed, then began stroking her hair. She was so beautiful… With her beside him, he knew he could handle anything, even Akuze. He just had to be there for a few days. As soon as they didn't need him anymore, he could leave.<p>

He stayed still for several minutes, savoring the moment for as long as possible. He then felt Tali stir and her grip on him tighten. She mumbled cutely and pulled him closer to her.

"You awake?" She whispered sleepily, her eyes still closed.

"Yeah." He responded.

Tali nuzzled her face into his neck and lightly kissed it while pulling him even closer, "Good morning."

"Good morning." He put his arms around her and began caressing her back, "Did you sleep well?"

Tali kissed his neck again, "Yes . . . amazingly… How about you?"

"The same," he said as he kissed the top of her head.

"Mmm…" She pulled him even closer, "I wish we could stay like this all day."

"I do too." He sighed. "But we can't, James and Kaidan will be here soon."

Tali lifted her head, opened her eyes, and spoke somewhat flirtatiously, "They aren't here yet, though."

John smirked devilishly, "Are you suggesting something, Mrs. Shepard?"

She climbed onto him, kissed him on the lips, and then put her forehead on his before speaking, "We're both kind of sweaty… Maybe we should take a shower together to . . . save water?"

"Sounds like a plan," he returned as he began caressing her back.

"Come on…" She whispered as she got out of the bed and pulled him towards their personal bathroom at the back of their bedroom.

They both entered the bathroom and closed the door behind them. Judging by the sounds no one could hear, they enjoyed getting clean…

* * *

><p><em>Kaidan Alenko<em>

* * *

><p>Kaidan stepped out of the shuttle with James at his heel. They looked around at the Shepard's property before walking towards the door of their home. He stopped at the door and turned to James, "You think they're ready yet?"<p>

James shrugged, "No use talking about it, let's just ring the doorbell."

Kaidan nodded and pressed the button. Almost immediately a Geth opened the door and studied them for a second.

"Welcome Alenko-Major and Vega-Commander, Shepard-Commander and Tali'Shepard are currently unavailable." McDonald stated.

"Do you know where they are? The Senate wants us to get moving." Kaidan said as he looked past the small platform.

"They are in their bedroom, and have requested I watch the house until they emerge."

James crossed his arms and smiled knowingly, "How long have they been in there?"

"They requested that information remain private." The platform moved its head-flaps slightly, "New data: Shepard-Commander and Tali'Shepard are coming down. You may also enter." The Geth moved to the side and gestured for them to enter.

Kaidan and James walked into the airlock and the doors closed. They waited as the decontamination unit cleaned them, and then walked through the door on the other side.

As they entered the house Shepard walked towards them through another doorway, "Kaidan, James!" He said as he shook their hands and patted their backs, "It's been too long."

Kaidan returned the gesture, "It has, Shepard. How are the little ones?"

"Well Val's been just as quiet as usual and Jane's imagination is still running wild. How's Mia?"

Kaidan smiled at the mention of his daughter. "She just took her first steps a month ago, Sofia and I are so proud of her. But we can talk about this later, are you guys ready to go?"

"Almost, all we need to do is put those bags in the shuttle and wait for Tali and the kids," he said as he pointed to a few bags near the front door.

"I can get them." James lifted the bags up and over his head.

Shepard smirked, "You don't have to carry all of them, James, I haven't gone soft yet."

"We might have to test that later, Loco, but I've got this," James said as he walked into the airlock again.

The door closed behind James and Shepard shook his head. The spectres then heard small running feet and turned around to see Jane sprinting towards them.

"Uncle Kaidan!" Jane exclaimed excitedly as she hugged his leg.

"Hey Janie, it's good to see you again." Kaidan smiled at the small quarian and returned her hug.

"Are you gonna take us to the Normandy!?" Jane bounced merrily.

Kaidan chuckled. "As a matter of fact I am. You'll all get to ride on it!"

Jane turned to Shepard, glee radiating from her eyes. "We're going to go see your ship again, daddy!"

"It's Kaidan's ship now, sweetheart, but yes, we are. We're actually going to ride on it for a while."

Jane's continued bouncing, "We're going on a trip!?"

Shepard nodded, "Yup, we'll get to see space again!"

"Yay!" Jane exclaimed as she continued to bounce.

"John, can you help me?" Tali yelled from another room.

"I'm coming, honey!" John answered as he walked out of the room.

Jane turned back to Kaidan with a big smile on her face, "So have you done any more secret missions?"

Kaidan smirked, "I'm actually on a super-secret mission right now."

Jane gasped, "Really!?"

"Yeah," he knelt down and began whispering, "Do you want to know what it is?"

Jane nodded excitedly.

"I'm escorting a lovely little princess and her family to a party."

"Are they on the Normandy!?"

Kaidan chuckled, "Not yet, but they are in this house. Can you guess who they are?"

Jane looked down for a moment, thinking hard, "Are they invisible?"

Kaidan chuckled again, "No, Janie, try again."

Jane began thinking hard again, "Is it mommy?"

"You're getting closer, but try again."

Jane looked at Kaidan curiously, "If it's not mommy then who is it?"

"Do you want me to tell you?" Kaidan asked.

Jane nodded, "Yes!"

Kaidan poked her nose, "You."

Jane giggled, "Me?"

"Yes you, your highness."

Jane giggled again, "I'm not a princess!"

"Oh yes you are!" John teased as he walked in behind her and picked her up. Jane laughed and held onto her father, "You're my little princess."

Tali walked in behind him with a bag in one arm, Val in the other, and a smile on her face, "Are we ready to go?"

"James took the rest of the bags, so we should be ready, unless you want me to carry that bag." Shepard said as he continued holding his daughter.

"It's fine, John, let's go." Tali began walking towards the front door.

Kaidan opened the door for them and Tali walked into the airlock.

"Make sure there's still a house left standing when we come back, McDonald." Shepard joked to the Geth platform that remained standing in a corner.

"I will ensure the house remains safe, Shepard-Commander," McDonald responded.

"Good, see you in a week."

"Goodbye, Shepard-Commander, Tali'Shepard, and children." The Geth said as it lifted its hand and began waving.

Jane waved back, "Bye Mici!"

The airlock door to the house closed and a warm, gentle breeze hit them as they walked towards the shuttle. Kaidan arrived first and helped everyone in, then closed the shuttle door behind them.

"Alright Cortez, let's go." Kaidan ordered to the pilot.

"Aye aye." Cortez responded as the shuttle started up.

The shuttle lifted into the sky and began flying towards space. In the distance the city Rayya could be seen. There were Quarians and Geth everywhere in the city, some building businesses and homes, some going to their jobs, and some just wandering about. Rayya had the largest population out of all of Rannoch's cities, and wasn't far from the Shepards' property. It was the center of Rannoch's blooming economy and farmers, miners, manufacturers, and merchants from across the planet sent their goods here to sell to the rest of the planet or off world.

The city soon became nothing but a tiny dot on the landscape as the shuttle continued on. Kaidan, James, and the Shepards began talking about recent events and themselves while Jane went up to the cockpit of the shuttle and began asking Cortez questions about space, element zero, and everything else she could think of asking about.

After a few minutes Jane saw an object in the distance and smiled.

"There it is!" She exclaimed, making the adults turn to look.

In the distance was a ship, the ship that had brought them all together, the ship that defeated the Collectors, Cerberus, and the Reapers . . . the ship they all called home.

The Normandy.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's endnote: As I said in the above note, school is hitting me harder than expected, so updates will be even slower than usual. I will continue this though, don't worry about that, I just have to put school before writing. In a perfect world I could write a chapter incredibly quickly and still finish my hw, but the world isn't always perfect. Oh well, I hope you enjoy the next chapter when it comes! :) Keelah se'lai!<strong>

**P.s. I'm still looking for an artist, if anyone knows anyone PLEASE pm me! I just need someone to draw one of the creatures, so again please pm me if you know anyone who would be interested! Thank you!**


	7. Tourists

Alright, back to my main story! Holy cow it has been a while, but I've read and reread what was written a couple times to get my mind back into the story, so I believe I can finish what I've started. It won't be easy, but hey, it's for Tali! :D

* * *

><p>Chapter 7<p>

Tourists

* * *

><p>John Shepard sat smiling at his daughter, hopping up and down excitedly in her seat as the shuttle landed in the Normandy's docking bay. She hadn't seen the ship very many times, but every time her excitement was unparalleled.<p>

There was a slight bump as the shuttle touched the cargo bay floor, and Cortez turned his head and spoke to his passengers, "We've landed. Welcome back to the Normandy."

"Thank you, Cortez," Kaidan said, unbuckling his seat belt and getting up. "I'm sure you would both love to see the new additions to the ship, so I think a tour's in order."

"Can I come too?" Jane asked, getting up on her tiptoes and placing her hands behind her back.

"Of course, pumpkin." Kaidan smiled and opened the shuttle's door, then stepped out and motioned for the others to follow him. Several crewmen were already coming forward to take the Shepards' luggage. "You probably noticed that not much has changed out here," he began, "but we have gotten a few upgrades." He noticed the Shepards' wandering eyes. "All of the clamps have been replaced, the shuttle has been revamped with additional armor plating, and we have a Mech, finally, for ground patrols."

Shepard turned to look at the Mech, and was slightly taken aback at how eerily similar it was to the Cerberus Mech he had used in the final battle with the Reapers.

Noticing his gaze, Kaidan explained, "The Alliance studied Cerberus technology for some time and created models based off their designs, regardless of Cerberus' past they can make some good military machinery."

"Seems like you're having a blast being a Spectre, Kaidan," Tali said as she readjusted Val in her arms.

The Spectre shrugged, "It's got its advantages and disadvantages." He pressed the button for the elevator. "The adventures are great but missing my family isn't. However, I've got a job to do and we all knew that, so I just make do with the time I have."

The elevator door opened and he ushered the Shepards inside. James and Cortez gave them a wave, which the Shepards reciprocated, and the door closed behind them.

Kaidan pressed the button for deck 3. "I'm sure Tali will love what we've done with the engines." he smirked, "I can't tell you the technical details, that's for the engineers, but with the Alliance's tech teams studying Reaper remains, we've increased both the engine speed and the stealth capabilities of the Normandy."

Tali's eyes beamed and she tried to ask Kaidan a few less technical questions about the upgrades, to which he usually replied with something along the lines of 'I don't know' or 'Maybe Gabby will know about that.' The retired Commander just smiled as his wife continued her passionate questioning until he felt something pull at his pant leg.

Shepard knelt down next to his daughter, "What is it sweetheart?"

Jane looked around, concerned, "Has the elevator always been this slow?"

He chuckled and shook his head, "Yeah, we've advanced far enough to be able to travel from one side of the galaxy to the other in a heartbeat, but our elevators are still slow as syrup."

His daughter giggled, "The galaxy is weird then."

"That it is, Jane, that it is."

The elevator door opened to deck 4 and Kaidan stepped out with Tali behind him. Shepard stood back up and followed them with Jane at his heel. Kaidan turned to engineering and began walking towards the core. Ken and Gabby were typing away at their consoles, but turned up with a smile when they noticed Kaidan and the Shepards.

"Ah the Shepards, good to see ya back on the Normandy," Kenneth Donnelly said cheerfully.

"Welcome back, Shepards." Gabriella Daniels said.

Engineer Adams was working at his usual station and smiled at the family, "Commander, Tali, it's a pleasure seeing you again."

"Here, Tali, these people should be able to answer your questions." Kaidan then checked his omnitool and his eyes widened a bit, "Shoot, I was supposed to meet Zaeed for a drink, I'll be right back."

"Wait a minute, soldier, I'm coming along too. It's been too long since I've said hi to old Zaeed." Shepard turned to his wife, "Send me a message when you're done in here, honey."

"Ok, say hi for me." Tali returned. She was already moving towards her old station, Jane on her heel, and spouting technical jargon that was already way over Shepard's head.

Shepard followed Kaidan out of engineering and to the starboard cargo door. He knocked a few times and the door opened with the grizzled veteran standing on the other side with his usual demeanor. The room looked a lot different than when Diana Allers had occupied it; there were weapon parts and the mercenary's possessions on multiple tables, a grease stain or two on the floor, and a target in the corner with scorch marks from target practice.

"About guddamn time you came back, Shepard, almost thought you'd gone soft." Zaeed smirked.

"It's good to see you again too, Zaeed." Shepard heard the door close behind him, "Now, I've been meaning to ask since I'd heard, what made you come back to the Normandy?"

"What? Did you think I could sit on a guddamn beach my whole life? The vacation was nice, but I'll be damned if I sit on my arse until the day I bloody die."

Shepard shook his head and smiled. "Good to hear you haven't changed a bit."

"The pay's good too, Mr. Second-Human-Spectre here gets good credits for the jobs he does, and _credits_ is my guddamn middle name, even if I have to be a bloody Boy Scout to get'em." Zaeed grabbed a bottle of his favorite alcohol and a few glasses, "Now, how about we all have a drink on me."

The mercenary poured the drink into 3 glasses and passed them to the other men. He then made a toast. "Here's to a peaceful galaxy thanks to our favorite guddamn Boy Scout, Commander John Shepard."

The three men clinked their glasses together and drank up. As usual Shepard finished his glass in one gulp, setting the empty glass down on the table. Zaeed did the same, while Kaidan took more time to finish his own drink. When he finished, he too set the glass on the table. Zaeed coughed. "Took you guddamn long enough, rookie," Zaeed grumbled.

"Sorry, not all of us can drink as quickly as you two," the spectre rebutted.

"Anyway, how's life on the Normandy been besides the credits, Zaeed?" Shepard asked. "Have you had any new adventures?"

Zaeed chuckled with grizzled glee, "Now you're talking, Shepard. See this new gun here?" Zaeed lifted up a Geth spitfire from one of the tables, "She ain't no Jessie but she got the job done on one mission on Ontarom, you should have seen her ripping those Geth fanatics a guddamn new one! I call her Betsy, she's a tough one. Very well made gun in my guddamn opinion, she-"

Shepard interrupted him. "Sounds like she's tough, but you skipped something there. What mission on Ontarom, and why would Geth fanatics want to go there?"

Zaeed coughed. "Right, I should probably give you the whole guddamn story before praising her. Well, the rookie here got a mission from the Alliance about a group of Geth fanatics causing trouble on Ontarom. They had apparently built a base near a dead Reaper that no one had discovered yet, and were trying to bloody bring it back to life! Can you believe the stupidity of those guddamn machines? Anyway, we flew into the city and set up our attack party. The Geth were entrenched in their base so a frontal assault wasn't an option, and the Alliance already knew. We discovered a weakness in their patrols and were able to sneak into the base via a drainage pipe of some kind. Didn't really know what it was there for at the time, but later we learned the Geth fanatics thought pouring tons of water over the Reaper corpse would reawaken it or some other guddamn insane shit. When we entered the actual base through the pipe, we were almost immediately attacked, and the team was pinned down hard. I was using a standard Avenger at the time, and it was bloody useless. It just didn't feel right using it, I'm sure you get that."

The mercenary lifted up Betsy. "But then I discovered her. I shot down a Geth trooper and, I don't know if it was a miracle or just dumb luck, but my gut told me to pick up its rifle. I'm so guddamn glad I did, this baby destroyed the Geth fanatics faster than a bloody knife slices through butter! After that moment, we immediately pushed back against their guddamn metal heads and were able to set the charges in their base. Betsy continued to slash through the hordes of insane Geth as we escaped the base, and it became rubble behind us. The remaining Geth were captured or killed by the Alliance forces and she's been with me showing her beautiful efficiency ever since."

Shepard was impressed, and nodded his head as he examined the rifle, "Sounds like quite the rifle, mind if I hold it for a second?"

Zaeed hesitated, then handed it over. "Just make sure you don't hurt her, Shepard, I've got my eye on ya."

The retired Commander examined the rifle more, noticing the scratch marks on its paint that spelled out 'Betsy'. The rifle looked well cared for and seemed to be calibrated properly. "This is a nice rifle, Zaeed."

"The guddamned best, after Jessie of course," Zaeed responded.

Shepard's omnitool beeped, so he handed Betsy back to Zaeed and checked his messages, "Looks like Tali's done with her deal now, want to finish the tour then Kaidan?"

"Alright Shepard, let's go." He stood up and began walking towards the door. "Thanks for the drink, Zaeed."

"No problem rookie, just don't get guddamn drunk off of one bloody drink will you?" Zaeed chuckled.

Kaidan shook his head, "That was one time, and she said it was only 70 percent alcohol, not 95!"

"Don't worry Zaeed," Shepard reassured, "If Kaidan becomes intoxicated, I'll just have to take my ship back and have it be just like the old days again."

"Sorry Shepard, she ain't yours anymore, she's mine now." Kaidan smiled devilishly.

Just then EDI's voice was heard above them, "To be clear, _neither of you have, or will, own this ship_. Though it could be argued Shepard owned the ship when he left Cerberus after the suicide mission against the Collectors, the Normandy has officially been owned only by Cerberus, and then by the Alliance Navy. The Alliance is its current owner, and will remain the owner as long as it flies under their banner."

"Way to ruin the fun, EDI," Kaidan said under his breath.

"_Fun_ is a subjective thing, Kaidan," EDI responded. "For example, that was _fun_ for me."

Shepard chuckled and shook his head as he finally opened the door out of Zaeed's room, "Let's go finish this tour."

The spectre and retired Commander both walked back to engineering to find Tali still at her old console with Val on her hip. Jane was below her, trying to see what she was typing.

Shepard picked up his daughter, "How long has mommy been at this?"

"She started just after you left, daddy," Jane explained gleefully. "Mommy wanted to see what was changed in the Normany, and she said she could find that out in the console."

"It's _Normandy_, sweetheart." Shepard smiled.

"Nor-man-dy, ok daddy."

Shepard moved closer to Tali's old workstation and put his free arm around her waist. "How's the inspection going, my lady?"

"I'm not 'inspecting' anything, Shepard, I just wanted to make sure they didn't ruin our old home... I mean ship." Tali blushed, "You know what I mean."

"I understand." He lightly rubbed her side, "Are you ready to go, though?"

"Yes, everything seems alright." Tali logged out of the console and leaned into Shepard's side. "Now let's go see the rest of the Normandy."

The two of them separated reluctantly, waved goodbye to the engineers, and returned to the elevator with Kaidan, kids still in hand.

Once they were back aboard the elevator, Kaidan pressed the button for deck three and the doors closed behind them. "Now I've taken the liberty of arranging for quality sleeping arrangements for you and your family, Shepard." Kaidan began. "Obviously the captain's quarters are no longer available to you, as I have to sleep somewhere, but we had room here on deck 3. The XO quarters have been vacant for some time, so we decided to rearrange it a bit to make it more family-friendly. The rest of the deck hasn't changed too much, besides the absence of a few crew members, that is."

The door to deck 3 opened and Kaidan stepped out with the Shepards behind him. "This is where our tour will have to end, Shepard. Deck 2 hasn't changed a bit and I've got some business I need to attend to up there, so make yourselves comfortable in the XO quarters. If you need anything I'm sure EDI can help you, if she's done having fun that is."

"Thanks, Kaidan, but one quick question, where are our bags at?" Shepard asked.

"One of the crewmen should have brought them up here while we were on our tour," he responded.

"Alright then, thank you Kaidan," Shepard said. "It's good to be on the Normandy again, thanks for going out of your way to give us a safe trip."

"Don't mention it, Shepard. Now I've gotta be going, see you later Shepards."

"Bye Uncle Kaidan!" Jane said cheerfully.

The Spectre smiled and waved as the elevator door closed. Once the Shepards were inside their new room, they looked around and noticed how different it was compared to their last visit. Before, many of the computers and equipment from Liara had still been there, but since she had moved out, most of those computers went with her. Shepard set Jane down on her bed, and he promptly began opening his bags, making sure none of them had been forgotten. Meanwhile Tali set Val down in his crib and made sure he was comfortable. Soon the child's eyes grew weary, and Tali placed the small blanket over his tiny frame as he descended into dreamland.

"Val sure sleeps adorably," she whispered as she moved towards her husband, keeping her eyes on her son.

"He sure falls asleep fast, too." Shepard whispered back. "But when he gets to have a mommy as wonderful as you, no wonder he can fall asleep so quickly."

Tali blushed again, and lowered her head. "Thank you, John." She then sighed, "But sometimes... sometimes I wonder if me being away on all of those meetings for the Admiralty Board is hurting him and Jane somehow."

John lightly stroked her chin, and lifted her head to see her eyes. "The kids will be fine, Tali, as long as you care like I know you do, they will be fine. Besides, pretty soon you won't have to worry about the Admiralty Board anymore, and you can have as much time as you want with the kids."

Tali wrapped her arms around her husband and pulled him close. "And as much time as I want with you," she said seductively.

"Well, I can't say that hadn't crossed my mind too." Shepard responded in an equally seductive manner, putting his own arms around her and pulling her close. He checked Val and Jane, seeing both of them silently sleeping, then turned his eyes back to his wife and lover. "I wonder if there's a quiet section of the Normandy we can sneak off to while the kids are asleep to... release our tensions."

"But you said this morning would be the last time for a while," Tali replied devilishly.

"You can't blame me for searching for... opportunities, can you?" Shepard pulled her petite frame just a little closer to him. "EDI, I know you're listening, could I ask you something?"

"If you wish for me to find you a quiet place on the Normandy Shepard, can I suggest the Life Support Control Room?" She responded. "No one goes in there unless one of my machines isn't working properly, the bed and room itself was recently sterilized, and I can lock the door and not save footage from the cameras for you to ensure privacy."

Shepard chuckled, "I was going to ask if you could keep an eye on the kids for us, but thank you, EDI."

Shepard slowly pulled away from Tali, then grabbed a blanket from their bags. He held it under his arm and placed his other arm around her again.

"So, my darling purple rose of Rannoch, care to join me in Thane's old room for another... inspection?"

She smiled and kissed him again, "I don't know, I've been... inspecting things all morning."

"Well, maybe it's my turn to do the inspecting then." Shepard then opened the door and checked to see if the coast was clear. He then grabbed Tali's hand and led her to the room.

Shepard closed the door and heard EDI lock it behind them. He set down the blanket and turned to his lover. "Are you ready, my love?"

Tali hesitated, and looked him in the eye, "Can I ask you one question first?"

"Of course, Tali." Shepard replied.

"Are you... still ok with tomorrow?"

Shepard sighed. "I'm glad you know how hard this is for me... yeah, I'm still ok will it. I'm not happy about it, but... I'm ok with it, and I know you'll be there with me through it all. I don't know how the ground of Akuze will feel when we land there but... you'll still be there, so..."

"And I always will, my love." Tali whispered with a soft smile on her face.

Shepard and Tali kissed again, and he pulled her close to him once more. They both moved towards the bed and Tali laid down first as Shepard crawled above her. They kissed again, and once more showed how important they were to each other.

* * *

><p>Author's note: Man, I suck. I suck the big one. I'm so sorry this took so long, and I really don't have an explanation besides incredible writer's block mixed with a... well, I guess you could say fear of relationships. I don't want to bore anyone with my life, but I... well, tried to get a girlfriend only a short time after publishing my last chapter, and well... let's say when you feel incredibly rejected after you think everything's working out it's hard to even dream about a happy relationship, let alone write about one, ya know? Especially when you're just a little bit too dumb for your own good like I was. But I've discovered in myself what I truly value in relationships and well, I hope to not be so blind with stupidity next time when all of the signs are there that this is a bad idea. I've gotta keep true to what I believe in, and change it for no one, only then can I really find a girl that fits me. It's all about what's in her mind, not how nice she looks, and I can't believe it's taken me so long to realize that even though that's the exact reason I rejected all of the other women in the Mass Effect universe for Tali! Man I was blind! XD I've also gotten my passion for writing back, especially for Tali, who I never forgot, so that benefits y'all! :D Anyway, I'm done with life stories, and I hope now that everything's back in place and school's over I can write more frequently and get to the main plot (though I always adore writing my fluff as you know! :P FLUFFY FLUFF IS THE BEST!) Keelah Se'lai everyone, and I really hope to see you next chapter! P.s., special thanks to Nightstride for helping me work out the kinks in this story!<p> 


	8. The Operative

**I'm back from vacation! :) Here's the next chapter!**

* * *

><p>Ch. 8: The Operative<p>

_Antibaar_

_Cerberus Director_

* * *

><p>The Director stood gazing out of his large office window, watching the tundra winds blow snow and ice against the insulated glass. He took a sip of his favorite Asari brandy. He had limited time to fulfill his goals, but he was a patient man.<p>

A request at the door pulled him from his ruminations. "Come in," he said.

"Director, sir!" A Cerberus operative saluted behind him. "We have the analyzed data you requested."

The Director sighed and turned from the window to look at the operative. "Did our computers note any lapses in security?"

"See for yourself, sir." The operative handed a datapad to him.

He took it and set his drink down on the table. He studied the datapad for a few minutes, reading the report and viewing the schematics. He chuckled, "It almost seems too easy . . . are you sure this information is correct?"

The operative nodded, "Yes, sir. Our informant was very thorough, and this is what the computers discovered. We should be able to achieve our objective without much risk and with minimum investment."

"Perfect." The Director sat in his chair and continued, "Cerberus is low on funding, but I'm still sending our best operative to complete this mission. If we succeed, we may be able to get our clients back and continue normal operations. Send in Operative Echo immediately, we have much to discuss."

The Cerberus operative saluted, "Yes, sir!"

He picked up his drink again and took a sip as the operative left his office. In only a few moments Operative Echo was saluting in the doorway.

"Come in, Echo," the Director began as he set his drink down again. "We have much to discuss, you and I."

"What service may I lend you, sir?" Operative Echo asked calmly.

"Commander Shepard is an insult to humanity, you know this better than most, Echo." The Director said.

"Of course, he has ruined more lives than he knows." Echo responded.

"The galaxy doesn't seem to understand all of the destruction he caused." The Director agreed. "I'm sure the Illusive Man was right, that there was another way he could have stopped the Reapers, but he made his choice, and now, we are here, on the brink of complete destruction."

The Director handed the datapad to the operative. "He must be killed, only then can we reestablish our goal of human dominance in this galaxy and leave this frozen rock. He is a dangerous symbol that must be removed. Many of our backers agree and have decided to no longer fund us until that is done. If you succeed Cerberus will be restored, but if you fail, Cerberus will be no more. I trust you will complete this mission as efficiently as usual. Remember: Commander Shepard is the primary target, any others of his crew or family are secondary objectives. Only kill the ones you know you can, and escape before you are detected."

Operative Echo studied the datapad for a moment. "This . . . this seems too easy, are you certain your data is correct?"

The Director nodded. "I am. Now go, you have only a few days to prepare. Use them wisely, and do not bring any attention to yourself. The entire galaxy will be on this planet Akuze, you must remove their accursed 'hero' and show the galaxy they are not invincible, and show our backers that Cerberus will not be stopped so easily."

Echo nodded. "And what of the children? Should I avoid them?"

"No, if they get in the way do not hesitate. I don't wish for the blood of children to be on Cerberus' reborn hands, but we must be willing to do whatever it takes to rise again, so do what you must."

Echo downloaded the datapad contents into his omnitool and placed it on the Director's desk. The operative saluted. "For Cerberus, I will kill him."

"For Cerberus." The Director saluted back.

Operative Echo rushed out of the Director's office, eager to set their plan into motion.

The Director sat down on his chair and took another sip of his brandy. "Soon you will pay, Shepard," he whispered to his glass. "Soon, you will be nothing but a memory..."

He turned around and began watching the frozen tundra outside of his window again, and smiled at the thought of a new Cerberus...

* * *

><p><em>Senate Cloning Facility<em>

_Leviathan_

* * *

><p>The Leviathan watched through its slaves as the Senate forces allowed its ships entry into the secret Senate cloning facility in the Nubian Expanse. This was the answer to all of its problems; if its old brethren could not be reanimated, new ones could replace them instead.<p>

Just as before, his slaves stepped out of their ships to greet the new slaves with their artifacts, and in mere moments the entire station was under the Leviathan's control. Its control, however, felt weakened; it needed its brethren, for it did not know how long it could keep so many slaves alone. The new slaves immediately began working on their task, and the old slaves brought the organic materials they needed to clone from the ships.

As they began working, the Leviathan took pause to watch its majesty. It controlled the most advanced research facilities in all of the galaxy, an entire planet of intelligent foot soldiers that could strike fear in any ground soldier, and more stray merc ships than it could have ever hoped for. Victory was assured, it was only a matter of time.

And time was something the Senate was running out of...

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: Hey, sorry for taking so long, I was on vacation! :) 'Well that doesn't excuse the short chapter' someone might say. Well... sorry, I needed to get this plot element in here and I didn't want to get bogged down in too much exposition so this is all ya get for a bit! :D And don't forget that pesky Leviathan! Thank you so much for reading, and see ya next chapter!<strong>


	9. Nightmares

**Ok, seriously, I suck. :/ Sorry y'all, I'm terrible at making sure I, ya know, actually write my stories… :/ Ah well, in the mean time I've finished quite a few new games that have been really heart-warming and refreshed me a bit (I recently wrote a Fire Emblem story if you're interested) I can't promise I'll stop being inconsistent, but I'd prefer if I wasn't… Maybe I need some annoying alarm or something that rings if I don't write something at least once a week. That's the only idea I can think of right now… anyway, I just hope you guys are ready for this update! :D As usual, Mass Effect is owned by Bioware, not me, and please enjoy my story!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 9: Nightmares<p>

_Unknown Location_

_John Shepard_

* * *

><p>"Shepard… Shepard…" Voices repeated in a whisper around the lone commander as he stood in a dark field. Images flashed before his eyes, and they only worsened when he closed them. Images of burning homes and fields as alien ships abducted his friends, family, and neighbors, images of each squad member from Akuze and their ultimate demise at the hands of the Thresher Maw, and countless images of comrades and friends who had fallen at the hands of the Reapers and their minions.<p>

"Failure… All your fault…" The tormenting voices were becoming too much for the commander to handle.

"STOP!" Shepard screamed at the shadows around him. "They… I couldn't…"

"You could... your fault…" The voices replied in a mocking tone.

More images appeared before him, images that cut deep into his heart. An image of his sister lying dead in his arms, an image of Red as his body became goo before his very eyes, and… something new.

Shepard stared in horror at the image before him, an image of his wife standing at the edge of a cliff on what appeared to be Rannoch.

"Tali?" He called out to her.

He then attempted to reach out to her, only to see her turn to him, her face maskless and stained with tears.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, and began falling backwards, towards the rocks far below the cliff.

"TALI NO!" Shepard desperately ran towards her, attempting to grab her and save her life. He slid to the edge of the cliff, reaching as far as he could… but felt no hand, no arm… nothing.

He stared in horror as her body hit the rocks below. His heart was broken, his eyes were filled with tears, and the only thing he could hear was his voice repeating the same word. "No!"

* * *

><p><em>Normandy SR-2<em>

_John Shepard_

* * *

><p>Shepard awoke in a cold sweat and immediately sat up to survey his surroundings. To his relief he was back on the Normandy, his wife by his side, and the children asleep on their own beds further away. He laid back down, attempting to catch his breath.<p>

As he slowly recollected his thoughts, the final scene of his dream played on repeat in his mind. He had had many nightmares before, many that mocked him and labeled him a murderer… but he had never before had a dream where _she _had been in danger, and from herself of all people. He had no idea what the dream meant, or if the dream was something he should even think about.

After a few more moments he got out of bed as quietly as he could, got dressed, and left the room. He didn't want to wake Tali up, as she seemed very peaceful, but he needed to talk to someone, and he'd take whoever he could get…

"Hey, Loco!" James called to Shepard with a grin on his face… until he saw Shepard's face. "Looks like you've seen a ghost, Loco."

"Not a ghost, James." Shepard replied as he sat next to James, who seemed to be reading a military book at one of the tables. "I… just had a nightmare, is all."

James nodded in understanding. "I've had those before, Loco… more times than I'm willing to admit. Let me guess, it was about Akuze?"

"Partly." Shepard started, "But I've had nightmares about Akuze before… tonight, it was even worse. I… it was about Tali…"

James nodded again. "Take your time, Loco, I'm all ears."

"She… she killed herself, in my dream." Shepard continued. "Jumped right off a cliff. For what rhyme or reason… I don't know… but she died, and I couldn't save her…"

James remained silent for a moment, then replied, "I don't know why you'd have a dream like that, Loco. I've never been one to believe in premonitions or any of that, but maybe your, what do those psychologists call it… subconscious, I think, is telling you something?"

"Maybe…" Shepard stared at the table for a moment, lost in thought. "Am I afraid she's unhappy? Am I treating her in a way that drives her to suicide?"

"It can't be that, Loco." James reassured. "Not sure I've seen a happier couple than you and Tali, honestly."

Shepard chuckled slightly, then immediately returned to his depressed demeanor. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, James, but it has to mean something. I usually don't dream for no reason, especially about something that felt so… devastatingly real…"

"Shepard?"

Shepard and James turned to Tali, who was standing in the doorway to their room. "Shepard, you look terrible…"

Shepard stood up and closed the distance between himself and Tali. When they met, he pulled her into a deep hug, and held her closely for a moment.

After that moment, they separated slightly, and Shepard spoke, "I didn't want to wake you… but I had another nightmare, Tali."

"What was it about, Shepard?" She asked reassuringly. "Was it about Akuze?"

"At first, I thought it would be." Shepard began to shake with pent up emotion. "But, I… I saw you kill yourself, Tali!"

He pulled her into a deep hug again, and tears began to fall from his eyes. "I don't know what it means Tali, but promise me you would never do that to me!"

"Oh, John…" Tali returned his hug, tears falling from her eyes now as well. "I would never leave you, or our children, especially not willingly! I love you!"

They continued holding each other for a few minutes, allowing all of their emotions to come out. James remained there stoically, not wanting to leave his friend or interrupt his moment with his wife. After a few more moments the couple's grip on each other loosened, and they pulled back from one another, each grabbing the other's hand.

"I'm sorry, John." Tali lightly stroked his hand with her finger. "I should make you feel more loved, I must be failing as a wife… You shouldn't have to have these dreams…"

Shepard grinned, though sadness remained in his eyes. "I don't think you could make me feel more loved, Tali."

She giggled, and the sound lessened Shepard's anxiety. "I… thank you, John. You know I care for you more than anyone."

She sighed, pulled his left hand closer to her, clasped her hands around his, and began stroking it softly. "But I need to help you figure this out somehow, my love… What can I do for you?"

Shepard chuckled, "'What can I do for you?' You used to always ask me that, whenever I wanted to talk to you… you've always been so helpful, so caring…"

"John…" she replied kindly, "answer my question, you bosh'tet."

Shepard laughed, "I think that's helping a bit." He sighed, then continued. "I don't know, Tali… Maybe this is nothing, maybe my mind just wants to torture me, or maybe it's some kind of message… But I think just talking about it… well, it's made me feel better."

She nodded understandingly. "Ok, then maybe you should tell us all of the details of the dream. Perhaps then we can help give you some closure."

"Us?" Shepard turned to James, who was still standing stoically near them. "Oh, right, sorry James."

"No problem, Loco, if I had a dream where my wife killed herself I'd be a bit out of it too, I'm sure."

Shepard nodded. "Alright, I'll tell you both."

He motioned to the table again, and sat down. Tali and James sat across from him, listening to him intently as he began telling every detail he could remember.

"You were standing at a cliff's edge, Tali, staring into the sky. I called out to you, but you did nothing. I… then I attempted to reach out to you, and… and then you turned to look at me." He shook his head, the pain of seeing the image again piercing his very soul. "I've never seen eyes more filled with despair and hopelessness. There was no spark, no light… nothing but grief and an unspoken acceptance of death."

He sighed, then continued. "You said 'I'm sorry'… I knew it was you, then… always caring…"

"John…" Tali said, and Shepard lifted his head to look her in the eyes.

"Then you let yourself go, and gravity pulled you off the edge. I ran to the edge…" Tears began forming in his eyes again. "I couldn't reach you, but… I… I saw you fall… and land…"

His eyes looked down at the table again, and he wiped his tears away with his hand.

"I… I don't know what to say…" Tali replied after a few quiet moments. "I cannot imagine having the same dream about you…"

Shepard nodded. "It's… a lot to take in… but telling you, right here… I feel more at peace with it. It's just a dream, despite the terror it brings to my mind."

The three of them remained there for a while, solemnly wondering what the dream could mean or why Shepard had even had it in the first place. Afterwards, James returned to his studies, and the Shepards returned to their room to get as much sleep as they could before they arrived on Akuze. Sadly for Shepard, the dream returned in his slumber repeatedly, relentlessly showing the same images again and again…

* * *

><p><em>Station Alpha<em>

_Leviathan_

* * *

><p>The Leviathan proudly watched as the dreams tormented Shepard in the night. It had been exceedingly difficult to get an artifact onto the Normandy, though it had, and though the crew had had more resolve than most others, he could feel their wills slowly giving into him… Even Shepard's. Its brethren had used tactics like this before in order to control strong-willed lesser beings, but they had always failed for them on Shepard. Luckily for it the Leviathan could see the cracks in Shepard's resolve widening, and it knew that once Shepard himself was under its control, the rest of the galaxy would follow. Its plan was nearly complete, and soon, the entire galaxy would be under the control of the Leviathan race once more, as it was meant to be!<p>

* * *

><p><strong>So I come back and immediately go full angst!? Well, yeah… I did! :) I'm glad I finally got to this, I can finally get past the angst that I need in order to set up the future events that I've had in my head for over 2 years now… XD Seriously, if you're still reading this you're a trooper, thank you very much my friend! I'll make myself continue this story sooner, cause I really need to keep this updated and I would like to get to other projects too! Again, you're a trooper, and I'm very glad you're reading this! :D Reviews, favorites, follows, etc. are helpful, they give me email notices and all that, so hey maybe they'll get me off my lazy ass and write more! I don't know if they will but it can't hurt, right? ;) Thanks again!<strong>


	10. Calm before the Storm

**Holy crap, I actually updated in a timely manner? :D Yes, yes I did, you're welcome! :) Anyway, no reason to drag this out, enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Ch. 10: Calm Before the Storm<p>

_SSV Normandy_

_Commander Shepard_

* * *

><p>Shepard awoke from his nightmares, staring at the ceiling above him. Despite talking the nightmare over with Tali and James, it had returned in the night, and he didn't think he actually got a moment's rest... Attempting to blink the drowsiness out of his eyes, the Commander sat up and walked over to his bag, searching for his Alliance military uniform. It had been ages since he last wore it, but he was sure it still fit, and today was the day the Normandy would arrive on Akuze, so he would need it.<p>

After finding his clothes he put them in a pile and walked back to the bed. He gave Tali a quick kiss on her helmet and then went over to check on the children. Val and Jane were still sleeping soundly, to his relief. He then made his way to the door, prepared for a shower.

Kaidan jumped as Shepard opened the door. "Oh, Shepard! I was just about to tell you we've arrived on Akuze."

Shepard nodded, uncertain if that was good or bad news. "Thanks for letting me know, Kaidan. Do we have a schedule we need to keep or something?"

"Well, no, not strictly…" Kaidan began. "Though the Alliance does want you to prepare a speech for the ceremony in a few days, and be a part of every major event after that."

"A speech?" Shepard questioned. "Hackett didn't tell me anything about a speech."

"Hackett told me you do your best speeches when you're unprepared, but I thought I'd at least warn you." Kaidan replied.

Shepard chuckled. "He's normally right, but this will be a crowd of millions… I guess I'll need to get started right away then."

Kaidan nodded. "Alright Shepard, I'll let you go then. We'll be unloading our supplies first, so you and your family have time to get ready."

Kaidan walked towards the elevator, while Shepard stood for a moment. After a quick thought he decided to take his shower so his family could sleep for a bit longer. After all, they all had a big day today…

* * *

><p><em>2 Hours later<em>

_Akuze_

* * *

><p>"Looks like you've got a crowd out there, Shepard!" Joker smiled. "Ready to have your eyes turn to jelly from all the flashing cameras?"<p>

"Cameras can do that!?" Jane cried in terror, and grabbed her father's leg. "Daddy, we can't let those cameras near us!"

Shepard laughed, and patted Jane's head. "No, no, Janie, the cameras won't hurt us, Joker here is just trying to scare you."

"Oh…" Jane released her father's leg. "Is that why Uncle Joker is named Joker?"

"Yeah, I'm the Joker of the Normandy." Joker laughed, and turned back to Shepard. "Good luck out there, Commander, just don't let any of those press people in here, will ya?"

"I promise, Joker." Shepard shook his head with a smile on his face.

The airlock opened and the Shepard family walked into it with Kaidan, James, Zaeed, and a few other crew members at their side. The decontamination process began, ended, and finally the door to Akuze opened.

The group walked out of the airlock and down the ramp towards the hanger bay's floor. Hundreds of people surrounded them, each taking pictures and cheering for the Galactic Hero and his family. Shepard waved at them as they changed course for one of the exits.

"Now Shepard, the Alliance has rented you a luxury suite at Akuze's finest hotel." Kaidan yelled through the noise. "We're going to escort you there, then you and your family can have your privacy, though I'm sure there'll be quite a few people who want to meet you. If you ever need anything from any of us just send us a message on your omnitool, and we'll help in any way we can!"

"Thanks, Kaidan!" Shepard shouted back. "Will the others be there?"

The group walked through a doorway into a long, thin hallway. The press wasn't allowed past this point, so Shepard and the Normandy crew were all alone, for the time being, though they could still hear the crowds behind them.

"The rest of the past Normandy crew should be here already or arrive soon." Kaidan responded. "Besides Kasumi I think, no one was able to communicate with her…"

Suddenly a petite woman in all black appeared seemingly out of thin air next to them, causing the guards to jump and Shepard to laugh. "Looking for someone, Kaidan?"

"Jesus, Kasumi…" Kaidan exclaimed, putting down the gun he had instinctively grabbed. "You could have been shot!"

"Oh, I don't think you'd have been able to hit me." Kasumi replied with a smile.

The group settled down and continued walking down the hallway. Kasumi moved to Tali's side, and immediately began talking to her friend.

"So, how's life with Shep?" Kasumi asked curiously.

Tali bounced Val, who was staring curiously at the petite thief. "He's wonderful, Kasumi, our family couldn't be happier!"

"I'm glad you're both still happy, then. I always thought you two were cute together." Kasumi grinned and took something out of her pocket, then put her closed hand out for Tali to see. "Want to know what I found, Tali?"

Tali glared at her. "Kasumi, what did you steal?"

Kasumi opened her hand, revealing a ring with a wink. "It seems Shepard 'misplaced' something."

Shepard looked at his hand, noticing the missing ring. "Kasumi..."

"Yes Shep?" Kasumi smirked.

"Give it back."

Kasumi sighed playfully, handing the ring over. "Fine, Shep. Next time keep a closer eye on it."

"That's not the easiest thing when your friend's a master thief." Shepard replied as he put the ring back on his finger.

Kasumi giggled, and turned back to Tali. "Shep hasn't changed a bit, I see."

Tali shook her head. "He certainly has, just in good ways."

"You'll have to tell me about that when we have our girl talk later." Kasumi winked. "Oh, and I've got a few stories myself, don't worry."

Tali sighed. "Alright, Kasumi, but later."

The group reached the end of the hallway, where a large skycar was waiting for them. The Alliance pilot opened the door, and the group piled in.

When everyone took a seat the skycar's door closed and it's engine started, lifting the craft into the air. Shepard sat near one of the windows, and peered out of it to look at the city below as the others began chatting among themselves.

"Akuze has certainly grown..." He thought aloud.

"Akuze City has grown a lot in recent years, Commander." The pilot said, replying to his thought. "The city itself is larger than smaller cities on Earth now, as our population has reached about half a million. A lot of people came here during and after the war, we actually were a sanctuary for refugees."

"I can see why Alliance Command chose this city, then." Shepard replied, turning back to the window. "It actually looks beautiful."

"You'll have to see your statue then, Commander. It's a beauty, sculpted by one of the greatest sculptors in the galaxy. If you want to visit it, I can always take you there. Command has commissioned me to be your family's private chauffeur for your entire visit."

"I'm sure we'd like that." Shepard turned back to the driver. "You have a name, major?"

"Major Greer, sir." The pilot replied. "Major William Greer."

"Nice to meet you, Major William."

"Likewise, Commander." Greer smiled. "I can't tell you how excited I was to hear I'd be your chauffeur, it's an honor to drive heroes like yourself and all of the Normandy crew wherever you wish to go."

Before Shepard could reply the skycar came to a halt, landing in front of the hotel.

"And we've arrived." Greer said as he opened the doors.

The Shepard family, Kaidan, James, Kasumi, and one of the Normandy crew members left the skycar.

Kaidan cleared his throat, causing everyone to turn to him. "I've got some business I need to attend to back on the Normandy, Shepard, so we'll have to part ways here. James and Corporal Kellerman here will be your bodyguards until further notice. The rest of the crew should have rooms near your own, so feel free to chat with them."

Shepard nodded. "Thank you, Kaidan. Do the others have guards as well?"

"Of course, Shepard, everyone has at least one guard, we can't be too careful." Kaidan replied, then turned back to the skycar. "Major Greer will return after bringing us back to the Normandy, but until then get settled in. All of your belongings should already be in your room."

Kaidan reentered the skycar and it lifted off again. The Shepard family and their guards walked into the hotel, checked in, and got into the elevator. It lifted quickly, bringing them to their floor in a matter of seconds.

"Daddy, why is the elevator fast?" Jane asked.

Shepard laughed. "I don't know honey, I guess the Alliance needs to study this hotel to make better elevator technology."

Jane giggled. "They better!"

The group exited the elevator and took out their room key, then opened the hotel suite's door. Inside they found all of their luggage, and a Geth with a tuxedo that... seemed to be a snug fit on it.

"Greetings Shepard-family, I am Sir Butler. I shall be your room service." The Geth explained.

"And we'll be out here, Shepard." James said. "We won't bother your family unless we need to."

"Thank you, James, Corporal Kellerman." Shepard nodded. "I'm sure we'll be in good hands."

Kasumi smiled. "My room's just down the hall, stop by when you want to chat, Tali."

Tali shook her head. "I'll be over soon, Kasumi..."

The two bodyguards and the petite theif nodded and closed the door to the suite. Shepard turned back to the Geth, who was getting asked questions by his daughter.

"Why don't you live on Rannoch like most Geth do, Mr. Sir Butler?" Jane asked curiously.

"I wished to be a butler at a fancy hotel, and there were no fancy hotels on Rannoch." Sir Butler explained. "If a fancy hotel is build on Rannoch, I would return there."

"You should have made a fancy hotel on Rannoch yourself!" Jane smiled.

The Geth paused, processing the information. "I can see merit in your idea, Creator Jane'Shepard. I will process thought this further. Until then, do you have any requests of your butler?"

"Can I have ice cream!?" Jane jumped up and down, excited at the idea.

"Yes, I will order 'ice cream' immediately." Sir Butler's headlamp eye readjusted. "Is there a 'flavor' of 'ice cream' Creator Jane'Shepard prefers?"

"Chocholit!" Jane replied happily.

Shepard chuckled. "She wants chocolate, Sir Butler."

"'Chocolate ice cream' has been ordered. Would Shepard-Commander or Creator Tali'Shepard wish to order some 'ice cream?'"

"No, but thank you for the offer, Sir Butler." Tali replied.

"If you change your mind, Sir Butler can then order you 'ice cream' anytime." The butler said.

Shepard walked up to their luggage pile, and began unpacking everything. Tali went to the left side of the suite with Val, looking for the baby's crib, and quickly returned to help him unpack. They were in the living room area of their suite; to their left was a small hallway the led to two bedrooms and a bathroom, and to their right was a larger bedroom with its own personal bathroom.

"Looks like we really do have a fancy suite, Tali."

Tali grinned, her eyes brightening slightly. "I'd hope so, Shepard. You..." Her smile faded. "You had to go through a lot to get here, the least they could do is let us have a beautiful room."

Shepard sighed. "Yeah... I'm sorry about that, Tali... I really have no idea where such nightmares came from..."

"Don't be sorry, John." Tali reassured. "They worry me as much as they worry you, but they're not your fault."

Shepard then noticed a small, shiny orb in his bag, and lifted it to the light. "What's this? A marble?"

"A what?" Tali asked.

"Did you put a marble in my luggage?" Shepard showed it to his wife.

"I didn't put that in there, I don't even know what a marble is." Tali examined the tiny orb closely. "It looks beautiful, though... almost hypnotic..."

Shepard examined it closely as well. "It does... it looks like a storm raging over an ocean..."

Shepard's eyes widened. "Wait... I've seen this before!"

He lifted the orb up and attempted to throw it onto the floor. Leviathan reacted quickly, forcing Shepard's hand to remain closed.

"Urg..." Shepard cried out as his mind began falling apart.

"John!" Tali attempted to reach for him before her mind began falling apart as well. "N.. no..."

Everything blurred as the Commander and his wife desperately attempted to fight the Leviathan's control...

* * *

><p><em>Unknown Location<em>

* * *

><p>Shepard felt the shallow water splashing over his hands, and quickly stood to face the Leviathan, who was in the body of an unknown man with 'Patrick' on his name tag.<p>

"You shouldn't have discovered that yet, Shepard. You're forcing my hand early."

"Damn you!" Shepard roared at the beast. "How are you alive!?"

The beast glared at him. "It matters not how I survived, only that you are useful to me."

"I'll never obey you, you sick bastard!" Shepard glared back. "I will find you and end your 'apex' race once and for all!"

"Oh, I think you will listen to everything." The Leviathan smiled sinisterly, and bombarded Shepard's mind with the nightmare again and again as it transformed into an image of Tali. "Or your mind will be lost by artificial grief."

"Gah..." Shepard cried as his head violently thrashed about and he put his hands to his face.

"You will follow my every order, Shepard. You are mine now. Soon, all of the galaxy will return to us. The apex race will control everything once more."

"N... no..." Shepard said weakly, fighting for his mind.

"YOU HAVE NO CHOICE!" The Leviathan yelled.

Shepard attempted to close his eyes, but the Leviathan forced them open, and walked up to him as the silhouette of his wife. "Give in to me, Shepard."

"NEVER!" He screamed.

The Leviathan put its hand onto Shepard's chin, and gently stroked it. "Give in to me... John."

"No..." Shepard's resolve was crumbling apart.

The Leviathan smiled, causing the image's eyes to soften and become brighter. "Give in to me, John."

Shepard's mind fell apart... "...Yes, master..."

"Good." The Leviathan pulled away from Shepard. "My plan is now complete."

"What must I do to serve, master..." The broken Shepard asked statically.

"My scientist slaves have created a marvel that will allow your master to control the entire galaxy using your primitive 'extranet.' During your speech, you will unveil this to the world, and your job will be complete. All of the galaxy will be watching you, and all of the galaxy will then be under the apex race's control once more."

"I will do as you ask, master." Shepard replied robotically. "Long live the apex race..."

The Leviathan smiled darkly. "All of your friends have now joined me as well, Shepard. Their minds were less difficult, but they each wish to serve like you."

Shepard stared blankly. "They serve a just master..."

* * *

><p><em>Akuze<em>

* * *

><p>"Here is your 'ice cream' Creator Jane'Shepard." Sir Butler said as he handed the bowl of ice cream to the young girl.<p>

"I eat to serve my master." She said blankly as she took the bowl.

The Geth's eyelamp readjusted in worry. "Shepard-Commander, does your daughter call you 'master' and if so why does she serve you?"

Shepard stared at the Geth blankly. "Please leave."

"Have I said something to offend, Shepard-Commander?" Sir Butler asked.

"Please leave." Tali said in the same monotone voice as the others.

Sir Butler's eyelamp drooped. "I meant no offense, Shepard-Commander and Creator Tali'Shepard. I will show myself out."

The Geth walked out of the room, noticing the two bodyguards blankly staring at the elevator.

"Could you two tell Shepard-Commander and Creator Tali'Shepard I truly meant no offense?" The Geth asked them.

"Please leave." They both replied blankly.

The Geth pressed the down arrow on the elevator with a robotic sigh, and watched the room as the elevator descended to the lobby.

"I am going to be fired..."

* * *

><p><strong>Dundundun, lighting! Well, that sucks huh... : Trouble's brewing, I'll tell ya what! I hope you're all glad this came out so quickly, I would have published this sooner but I fell asleep writing it last night! XD Sorry, it was raining, and raining makes me drowsy... XD Anyway, thanks for reading, and any feedback is appreciated! See you next chapter!**


	11. The Culmination

**Oh boy, chapter 11! It's here! :D**

* * *

><p>Ch 11: The Culmination<p>

_Several Days Later_

_Akuze_

_Operative Echo_

* * *

><p>Operative Echo checked his thermal clip one last time, ensuring it was securely loaded. This vantage point had been difficult to discover for Cerberus, but gave him a clear view of the entire crowd below, and he didn't intend on wasting this opportunity.<p>

The crowds roared as the Savior of the Galaxy finally stepped onto the stage with his family and bodyguards. Operative Echo silently aimed his rifle at Commander Shepard as he prepared himself for his speech.

Echo could take the shot now, and end him immediately... but something stopped him. The Commander didn't look the same as the vids; he seemed depressed, and looked almost like a lifeless puppet...

Of course he was, Echo thought. The Commander followed the Alliance and the Council at the expense of humanity for so long, there was no way he was anything more than that, a puppet... Still, Echo had always respected Shepard's air of authority in those vids, an air of authority that seems to be gone completely...

Shepard stood behind the podium, looking rather static. "Greetings, galactic community. Thank you for coming today. I have a surprise for you all..."

He turned around as the crowd cheered again. Behind him was a small table with a cloth over it, and some unknown object underneath it. Echo kept his aim on Shepard as he pulled the cloth off.

Echo began feeling an uneasy sensation as the strange orb was revealed. He had not been anticipating Shepard to reveal anything during this, and the object seemed... to be giving off some strange aura of some kind...

Echo felt his mind being attacked, and his hands shook slightly. He cried out as his mind began to fall apart, and accidentally took the shot...

* * *

><p><em>Commander Shepard<em>

* * *

><p><em>CRASH!<em>

Shepard collapsed as the crowd screamed in fear and began evacuating the scene. James, Tali, and Corporal Kellerman rushed up to the Commander's body as quickly as they could.

"Shepard!" Tali cried as she knelt beside the Commander's body. "Oh Keelah, John..."

She turned the Commander's body over, expecting to see a gunshot wound...

Shepard's eyes opened wide and he began breathing heavily. Tali sighed in relief and pulled him into a hug.

Shepard returned her hug, dazed and confused. "W-what happened?"

Tali stood up, offering her hand. "I don't know, but we need to get you out of here."

He took it, and looked around frantically. "Where are the kids!?"

Jane came out of under the table behind him, visibly crying and shaking with Val in her arms. "I-I'm here, daddy..."

"Come here, Ja-" Shepard began.

"LOOK OUT!" Tali interrupted as she tackled Shepard.

A second shot zoomed where Shepard had just stood, barely missing him but hitting Tali in the shoulder.

"Ah!" Tali cried as she collapsed with Shepard.

"Tali!" Shepard got up, attempting to help her before turning to James. "James, get them out of here!"

"Right!" James replied as he helped Tali get up and motioned for Jane to follow him.

Jane hesitated, causing Shepard to curse. "Janie, please, follow Uncle James. I can handle this.

She nodded solemnly and followed James and Tali off of the stage area. Shepard turned to face the direction of the fire, and noticed a sniper frantically reloading in a small, obscure window.

"I think I see him, Shepard." Corporal Kellerman said. "I'm going to take the shot."

"No." Shepard replied. "This is my fight."

"Um, sir, you have no weapon..."

Shepard's biotics flared up. "I don't need one."

He let out a loud roar, and charged...

* * *

><p><em>Operative Echo<em>

* * *

><p><em>Damn it, damn it, damn it! <em>Echo screamed in his head as he fumbled to reload his single-shot sniper rifle. Two shots, TWO SHOTS he had missed! Instead he had hit the damn object and the target's wife! Had he really lost his touch like this!?

He heard a roar and looked up to see Shepard charging straight at him. Echo panicked, attempting to jump out of the way, but he was too late...

The farm-boy biotic smashed into Echo, causing him to drop his rifle and crash into the wall behind him. Shepard brushed the rubble off of his shoulder and marched towards the operative.

Echo attempted to stand and face Shepard, but the Commander grabbed him neck and smashed him into the wall.

"Who are you!?" The Commander roared, eyes filled with anger.

"Urg..." Echo struggled to speak as he choked.

The Commander pulled Echo's pistol from his belt, dropped the operative, and aimed the pistol at his head. "I said, who are you!?"

Echo coughed as air returned to his lungs. He looked up at the Commander, and glared. "Who am I!? I am the one who will end you! You must be stopped!"

"I don't think you're in a position to threaten me, Cerberus." Shepard smirked darkly as he saw the Cerberus icon on his pistol. "I had thought you had been all but eradicated."

"We were, almost!" Echo spat at Shepard. "Because of you, YOU! You ruined everything for us all! You willingly surrendered our very race to slaughter and exploitation! You have doomed humanity, and must be ended!"

"I have done only what was best for all of the galaxy, humanity included!" Shepard wiped the spit from his cheek. "Cerberus was anti-human as much as it was anti-alien, it would have condemned us to destruction by the Reapers."

"No, we could have controlled them! We could have used their power to bring humanity to their rightful place in the galaxy, on top!"

Shepard laughed. "Controlled? Ha, don't make me laugh. No one has the right to that kind of power, not humanity, not the Council, nor even the Galactic Senate! Control leads to complete destruction, for that power cannot be entrusted to anyone! Not even your Leviathan masters, who attempted to control me and have powers far beyond all comprehension, have that right!"

"Leviathan masters!?" Echo said, disgusted. "No alien controls Cerberus, you fool!"

Shepard's expression became puzzled. "So you did not put that artifact in my luggage to use me to control the galaxy before you attempted to kill me?"

Echo laughed darkly. "No, Cerberus has no means to control you. That is why you escaped us, and stole the Normandy as well. That is why we are a shell of our former self!"

Shepard chuckled, amused at a new idea. "Well then, Cerberus, it seems you have inadvertently saved the galaxy from a slave future. That object you destroyed would have swept across the Extranet and turned most of the galaxy into Leviathan thralls."

"Were you not trying to kill me," Shepard continued. "You would have been a hero. But no, instead you are under arrest."

"I am not!" Echo hissed, and his biotics flared up.

Echo landed a biotic warp on Shepard's hand, causing the pistol to fly away. He then coalesced his biotic energy into his fist, and roared at Shepard.

Shepard readied his own biotic fist, and both men slammed their fists into each other, causing both of them to slide back from one another. Echo quickly regained his bearings and attempted to strike again, only to be grabbed by someone else and slammed into the ground.

"Freeze!" Kaidan commanded as he and his special ops team held the sniper down.

"NO! DAMN YOU!" Echo screamed as he was handcuffed. "You will be stopped, Shepard! Cerberus cannot be defeated so easily!"

"Get him out of here, Kaidan." Shepard said, ignoring the sniper.

Kaidan nodded and forced Echo to his feet, and dragged him away with a few of his operatives.

Then Major Greer and a few other operatives surrounded Shepard, checking the premises for any further danger. "Commander Shepard, we'll escort you to a safe location. Corporal Kellerman contacted me and told me that your family has been moved to the Alliance's safe bunker nearby. Your wife is hurt, but we have some of the best doctors on Akuze there, so she should recover quickly."

"Good, and thank you." Shepard replied. "And what about my kids?"

"They are shaken but unharmed." Greer replied. "Now come, Commander, we don't have much time. Who knows if there are more people out to kill you."

Shepard nodded, and followed the operatives away...

* * *

><p><strong>And there it is, the assassin has failed! Woot! What will happen next? Well, you'll see soon enough! :D Remember any follows, favorites, reviews, etc. are very appreciated! See you next chapter!<strong>


End file.
